<p>Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's new president, has dismissed the chief of the army following allegations that the General attempted to protect right-wing protesters from arrest following the Brasilia uprising on January 8.&nbsp;General Julio Cesar de Arruda, who had assumed office in late December only, was fired on Saturday, nearly two weeks after Bolsonaro supporters wreaked havoc in the Brazilian capital. Lula's government referred to the invasion as a failed coup attempt.</p>

<p>Arruda reportedly prevented police from capturing suspected rioters who sought safety at an encampment outside Brasilia's army headquarters on the night of the incident. Some of Lula's friends believe Arruda is politically connected with Bolsonaro.</p>

<p><b>Also Read |&nbsp;</b><a href="www.wionews.com/world/thousands-of-people-stage-protest-against-pm-sanchezs-government-in-spain-554758">Thousands of people stage protest against PM Sanchez's government in Spain</a></p>

<p>"You are not going to arrest people here," Arruda told Lula's justice minister, Flávio Dino, Washington Post reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Many people in the military police were complicit. There were many people in the armed forces here inside [the palace] who were complicit," the leftist political veteran said four days after the attack.</p>

<p>"This chap has managed to pollute the entire armed forces," Lula added of Bolsonaro, who escaped to the US on the eve&nbsp;of the January 1 inauguration and refused to accept defeat in last October's polls.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Jacinda Ardern great on world stage but on New Zealand</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/jacinda-ardern-great-on-world-stage-but-on-new-zealand-554805/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>According to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, Lula has fired at least 80 military personnel from their positions in the last five days in an apparent effort to purge ardent Bolsonaro supporters.</p>

<p>General Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, the 62-year-old commander of the military command in charge of the southeast in So Paulo, will take over from Arruda.</p>

<p>Ribeiro Paiva has&nbsp;asked troops to accept the outcome of the election from last October, which Lula won by roughly two million votes, in a speech shared on social media on Friday.</p>

<p>"It doesn’t matter [what the result of an election is], it must be respected. It might not always be what we want, but that doesn’t matter," Ribeiro Paiva asserted, regardless of whatever their commander-in-chief was, the military will carry out its task.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's new president, has dismissed the chief of the army following allegations that the General attempted to protect right-wing protesters from arrest following the Brasilia uprising on January 8.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's new president, has dismissed the chief of the army following allegations that the General attempted to protect right-wing protesters from arrest following the Brasilia uprising on January 8. General Julio Cesar de Arruda, who had assumed office in late December only, was fired on Saturday, nearly two weeks after Bolsonaro supporters wreaked havoc in the Brazilian capital. Lula's government referred to the invasion as a failed coup attempt. Arruda reportedly prevented police from capturing suspected rioters who sought safety at an encampment outside Brasilia's army headquarters on the night of the incident. Some of Lula's friends believe Arruda is politically connected with Bolsonaro. Also Read | Thousands of people stage protest against PM Sanchez's government in Spain "You are not going to arrest people here," Arruda told Lula's justice minister, Flávio Dino, Washington Post reported. "Many people in the military police were complicit. There were many people in the armed forces here inside [the palace] who were complicit," the leftist political veteran said four days after the attack. "This chap has managed to pollute the entire armed forces," Lula added of Bolsonaro, who escaped to the US on the eve of the January 1 inauguration and refused to accept defeat in last October's polls. Watch | Jacinda Ardern great on world stage but on New Zealand According to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, Lula has fired at least 80 military personnel from their positions in the last five days in an apparent effort to purge ardent Bolsonaro supporters. General Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, the 62-year-old commander of the military command in charge of the southeast in So Paulo, will take over from Arruda. Ribeiro Paiva has asked troops to accept the outcome of the election from last October, which Lula won by roughly two million votes, in a speech shared on social media on Friday. "It doesn’t matter [what the result of an election is], it must be respected. It might not always be what we want, but that doesn’t matter," Ribeiro Paiva asserted, regardless of whatever their commander-in-chief was, the military will carry out its task. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Brazil: Lula sacks Army Chief Arruda for shielding suspects during protests

<p>Far-right Jair Bolsonaro became the first sitting president since the 1990s to lose the presidential runoff election.</p>

<p>Bolsonaro, who could secure only 49.10 per cent of votes, lost to the leftist former leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won 50.90 per cent of the votes, on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Local media reported that there is a high chance of Bolsonaro not accepting his defeat in the elections following the footsteps of his model Donald Trump.</p>

<p>The reign of the hardline far-right leader, who is dubbed the&nbsp;“Donald Trump of Brazil”, was marred by the disastrous handling of the Covid pandemic which left more than 680,000 dead,&nbsp;&nbsp;attacks on democratic institutions and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Brazil Presidential Polls: Lula da Silva wins elections again at the age of 77 with 50.90% of votes</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/brazil-presidential-polls-lula-da-silva-wins-elections-again-at-the-age-of-77-with-5090-of-votes-529936/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>He rode to electoral victory four years ago by promising to clean up politics, shrink the state and crack down on crime.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Born in 1955 to a Catholic family with Italian roots, Bolsonaro served as a paratrooper in the military before starting his political career in 1988 as a Rio de Janeiro city councillor.</p>

<p>Two years later, he was elected to the lower house of Congress, where he has been since.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-the-newly-elected-president-of-brazil-with-a-chequered-past-529734" hreflang="en">Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: The new president of Brazil with a chequered past</a></p>

<p>He has ignited one explosive controversy after another with his misogynist and racist remarks.</p>

<p>In 2003, he said a female lawmaker he opposed was "not worth raping."</p>

<p>In 2011, he told Playboy magazine he would rather his sons be killed in an accident than come out as gay.</p>

<p>In 2016, he dedicated his vote to impeach leftist former president Dilma Rousseff to the military officer who headed the torture unit where she was detained as a political prisoner during the dictatorship.</p>

<p>With piercing blue eyes, Bolsonaro was known for his physical strength in his army days - earning the nickname "Big Horse."</p>

<p>Bolsonaro has four sons - three of them politicians - and, in what he called a moment of "weakness," a daughter.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE: </strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Far-right Jair Bolsonaro became the first sitting president since the 1990s to lose the presidential runoff election. Bolsonaro, who could secure only 49.10 per cent of votes, lost to the leftist former leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won 50.

Far-right Jair Bolsonaro became the first sitting president since the 1990s to lose the presidential runoff election. Bolsonaro, who could secure only 49.10 per cent of votes, lost to the leftist former leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won 50.90 per cent of the votes, on Sunday. Local media reported that there is a high chance of Bolsonaro not accepting his defeat in the elections following the footsteps of his model Donald Trump. The reign of the hardline far-right leader, who is dubbed the “Donald Trump of Brazil”, was marred by the disastrous handling of the Covid pandemic which left more than 680,000 dead, attacks on democratic institutions and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years. Watch | Brazil Presidential Polls: Lula da Silva wins elections again at the age of 77 with 50.90% of votes × He rode to electoral victory four years ago by promising to clean up politics, shrink the state and crack down on crime. Born in 1955 to a Catholic family with Italian roots, Bolsonaro served as a paratrooper in the military before starting his political career in 1988 as a Rio de Janeiro city councillor. Two years later, he was elected to the lower house of Congress, where he has been since. Also read | Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: The new president of Brazil with a chequered past He has ignited one explosive controversy after another with his misogynist and racist remarks. In 2003, he said a female lawmaker he opposed was "not worth raping." In 2011, he told Playboy magazine he would rather his sons be killed in an accident than come out as gay. In 2016, he dedicated his vote to impeach leftist former president Dilma Rousseff to the military officer who headed the torture unit where she was detained as a political prisoner during the dictatorship. With piercing blue eyes, Bolsonaro was known for his physical strength in his army days - earning the nickname "Big Horse." Bolsonaro has four sons - three of them politicians - and, in what he called a moment of "weakness," a daughter. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro becomes first sitting president to lose re-election bid

brazil-army

Brazil Army, News on Brazil Army, stories on Brazil Army, articles on Brazil Army, Brazil Army stories at Wion, Brazil Army news, Brazil Army latest news

brazil army

Brazil: Lula sacks Army Chief Arruda for shielding suspects during protests

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro becomes first sitting president to lose re-election bid