NGO's stand up for disarmament statute

Representatives from NGOs are planning a big demonstration Wednesday (Dec. 10) in the Chamber of Deputies. They are coming out against the approval of a bill to relax rules for purchasing and using firearms and ammunition in Brazil and repeal controversial points of the so-called Disarmament Statute, Brazil's gun control policy.

Known as the Statute of Firearms, the proposal was put forward by Deputy Peninha Mendonça. He argues that firearm sales have declined 90% in the country since the Statute of Disarmament was passed, but this has not significantly reduced homicide. “This suggests that these crimes are not committed with legally owned arms, but with those of bandits who simply disregard any legal policies anyway,” he said.

The bill reduces the minimum age for use of firearms from 25 to 21 years, overturns provisions requiring users to obtain clearance from the Federal Police by providing “good cause” when applying for guns, and increases the individual quota from a maximum six to a maximum nine firearms per person. Moreover, it increases the amount of ammunition allowed. The bill sponsor, Deputy Claudio Cajado, has suggested he intends to submit alternative provisions, including one for retaining the minimum age of 25.

NGOs and activist organizations, including Instituto Sou da Paz, strongly oppose attempts to overturn the Disarmament Statute. According to Instituto da Paz Executive Director Ivan Marques, one of the most concerning points of the bill is a relaxation of the legal requirements for using weapons, more notably a repeal of provisions barring former criminals or suspects from having firearms.

This project “could pull a very dangerous trigger. Why would we want to make more weapons available to people when they can have six of them already? And the same applies to ammunition – why so many bullets?” he asked.

Another point criticized by the NGO is an attempt to repeal a requirement for gun users to pass handling tests every three years. “The new bill eliminates this requirement. The user buys a gun, passes a first test, registers it, and simply doesn't have to bother any more,” Marques pointed out.

He said the interest group is trying to put pressure on Congress to repeal the bill while it is still under consideration by the special committee of the Chamber of Deputies. They fear that with a more conservative legislature beginning next year, the bill would be more likely to be approved. “This is a very poor bill. Hopefully if it gets rejected by the committee, it will be shelved,” he said. But with a majority of the committee supporting revocation of the Disarmament Statute, the only weapon the protesters have on their side is trying to take the moral high ground against their conservative opponents.

Translated by Mayra Borges