Brazilian President Bolsonaro Calls On All Citizens to Arm Themselves Immediately

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has called on all citizens to arm themselves as soon as possible, saying that a well-armed public will never be enslaved by a tyrannical elite.

While addressing a crowd of supporters on Friday outside of the Alvorada Palace, the official residence of the President of Brazil, the right-wing populist leader said: “Everybody has to buy a rifle, damn it! Armed people will never be enslaved.”

Since assuming the presidency at the beginning of 2019, Bolsanaro – a retired, decorated army captain – has worked diligently to make it easier for Brazilian citizens to own firearms, issuing a succession of decrees which have made various firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, more easily available to the public.

In addition to making it easier for Brazilians to obtain firearms, Bolsanaro also loosened restrictions on weapons carrying and lengthened the validity of firearms licenses from five to ten years.