Brazil’s new defense minister vows to work to prevent conflicts

After taking office as Brazil’s defense minister, General Fernando Azevedo said that the work of his ministry will be to ensure peace and prevent conflicts and violence. He also advocated more funds for the modernization of the Armed Forces in order to “discourage possible adventures.”

“The purpose of the Ministry of Defense is to ensure peace. To avoid conflicts requires prevention measures, the capacity to anticipate solutions and the competence to minimize potential hostility,” he declared at the ceremony for transfer of power, held today (Jan. 2) at the Army Club, in Brasília.

President Jair Bolsonaro attended the event and said that “the Brazilian people, in their majority, want hierarchy, respect, want order and progress.”

Fernando Azevedo will be the 12th minister to take the helm of the ministry since its creation, in 1999.