Bolsonaro mentions Amazon sovereignty in speech to cadets

The commitment to democracy and freedom and the defense of the sovereignty of the Amazon was mentioned by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in his address to a public of cadets at the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras (AMAN), during the ceremony of delivery of smallswords in Resende, south Rio de Janeiro state.

“The Armed Forces, whenever it was required from them by the fatherland, did not fail its commitment to loyalty to their people, and to the fulfillment of the mission of defending democracy and freedom. Each one of you will leave this place to set off to the four corners of our dear Brazil to take new blood to these people—especially those going to our rich and coveted Amazon. We have the commitment to this piece of land—the world’s richest and most sacred. It is no wonder that other countries seek more and more to win the war of information in order for us to lose our sovereignty over the area,” he declared.

Argentina

In his speech, the president also talked about politics in Argentina, where presidential elections are set to be held in October. “Our mission is not to let Brazil get nearer other policies, policies that did not work anywhere else in the world. Let’s pray now to God for our dear Argentina, over to the south. May they know how to proceed, through their people, and not step back. Freedom has no price,” he added.

The delivery of smallswords marks the first year of AMAN cadets—411 students this year, 397 of whom Brazilians, 14 from overseas: three from Saudi Arabia, one from Guinea-Bissau, one from Honduras, and one from Peru. Brazil’s Southeast accounts for 56% of the group, followed by the South (18%), the Central-West (13%), the Northeast (10%), and the North (3%). Forty members of the group are women.

It is the first time Bolsonaro attends the ceremony as president. He was joined by members of high-ranking officials, governors, and members of other branches.

In attendance were Senate head Davi Alcolumbre (DEM); Supreme Court Chief Justice Dias Toffoli; Presecutor-General Raquel Dodge; Infrastructure Minister Tarcísio Freitas; head of the government’s secretariat Luiz Eduardo Ramos; Defense Minister General Fernando Azevedo e Silva; head of the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI) Augusto Heleno; the governors of São Paulo, João Doria, Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado, and Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Witzel; Army Commander General Edson Leal Pujol; and Senators Arolde de Oliveira (PSC-RJ), and Flávio Bolsonaro (PSL-RJ).