A judge at the Supreme Court in Brasilia has suspended parts of the decrees issued by President Jair Bolsonaro, which are intended to further relax arms law in Brazil from today.
The judge Rosa Weber declared the increase in the number of firearms that a citizen can buy from four to six invalid, as the Brazilian newspaper „Folha de S. Paulo“ reported yesterday evening (local time).
Weber upheld a constitutional complaint by the Socialist Party of Brazil (PSB) from February. The individual decision of the judge is valid, but the plenary session of the highest court will still make a final decision. Bolsonaro issued four decrees in February further easing the acquisition, registration and carrying of weapons in Brazil.
Sharp increase in firearms
Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world. With the liberalization of gun law, Bolsonaro wants to improve the protection of the population. Experts and institutions such as the Instituto Sou da Paz and the Instituto Igarape, which deal with public safety and the reduction of violence in Brazil, criticized the decrees. They believe that more guns could exacerbate violence.
According to information from the army and federal police, on which the Brazilian media cite, there are now more than 1.2 million weapons in the possession of citizens in the country with a population of 210 million, which is an increase of 65 percent compared to the end of 2018 . The ultra-right Bolsonaro took office in January 2019. Shortly afterwards he began to liberalize gun law, but had to row back again and again after severe criticism.
