The PT refrained from obstructing relations with the military and declined to convene a conference to discuss the role of the armed forces. The decision was taken after a meeting of the National Directorate of the party and published in a resolution on Monday 10. There was a separate vote by Professor Valter Pomar.
He harshly criticizes the refusal of the leadership to include an amendment in its resolution stating the following: “There will be no talk of full democracy in Brazil as long as military tutelage persists. The National Direction of the PT decides to convene a national conference to discuss the policy of national defense and the role of the armed forces”.
The final document approved by the management, entitled Brazil of the present and the future: on the right course, takes stock of the first six months of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to the text, “the recovery of democracy and institutional normality has begun” in the country. The directorate is asking for pressure to be stepped up for the dismissal of the president of the central bank, Roberto Campos Neto, described as “stubborn” by president Lula for having kept the base interest rate, the Selic, at 13.75% per annum.
At the end of the vote, there was no mention of the debate on the military, aborting the idea of convening a Conference on Defense and the Armed Forces, a request claimed by academics and organizations of organized civil society.
“We missed the opportunity to ‘better discuss’ the military issue in the debate on the reconstruction and transformation programme; we missed the opportunity to ‘better discuss’ the military issue in the federation program debate,” Pomar said on his blog. , adding: “We missed the opportunity to ‘discuss better’ the military question in the debate on the coalition programme. The same happened in the transitional government. This attitude has contributed to us being surprised since 8 January”.
The party’s general secretary, former MP Henrique Fontana, declined to comment on Pomar’s statements. And Pomar himself also told al Stadium that all he needed to talk about was on his blog. “In the commission and in the DN, no one has argued that military tutelage does not exist or should not be fought. The problem seems to be when, how and where to debate the subject. In the meantime, if it depends on 47 (members of the National) we will do – as I wrote in the group DN zap – fight for socialism and Petrobras, but with military tutelage”.
According to Fontana, the topic was not foreseen and there were other things to discuss. “I’m not going to comment on that,” he told her.
Ministry of Defence
Conferences, which are tools of social participation, have been a practice in the ministries of the Esplanada for several decades. One of them, that of Science and Technology, in 1985, took care of creating the Ministry, which was then passed on to PMDB member Renato Archer. Also this Thursday 13 Lula signed the decree for the organization of next year’s V Conference. The same happened in other departments which periodically call civil society into question and discuss issues of interest to the population and the country.
The Ministry of Defense, although it was created on June 10, 1999, 24 years ago, has never convened any conferences, and the process of preparing defense documents continues to be discussed mainly by the military. The national defense policy and strategy has begun to be updated, every four years, in the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. “In fact, the documents are updated every four years, but by the military themselves with very limited outside participation,” notes political science professor, PhD, Adriana Marques, one of the scholars on the subject.
The Ministry of Defence, in response to a question from the Stadium, reported in writing that the National Defense Policy (PND), the National Defense Strategy (END) and the National Defense White Paper (LBDN) are the highest-level strategic documents in the country on National Defense. “The PND is the document that intends to guide the efforts of the entire Brazilian society in the sense of gathering capabilities at the national level, in order to develop the conditions to guarantee the country’s sovereignty, its integrity and the achievement of national objectives”.
According to the note, the National Defense Strategy guides all segments of the Brazilian state regarding the measures to be implemented to achieve the objectives established in the National Defense Policy. “The updates of the PND and the END are conducted by the Ministry of Defense and have the participation of other folders, the Academy and citizens”.
However, according to academics, researchers and other representatives of defense-related bodies, these discussions are taking place under the eyes of the Armed Forces. According to them, in the other Conferences, the wide social participation allows for an in-depth debate on topics of interest to the population. “There is no discussion in Brazil about our defense policy and strategy or the role, the size of the Armed Forces that precedes and organizes the review of defense documents and the company wants to have this discussion,” says Adriana.
Another element cited by the Ministry of Defence, the National Defense White Paper (LDBN), the document which aims to inform society and the international community on detailed strategic, budgetary and institutional data on the Armed Forces, is prepared by the Planning Office of Defense Ministry which, he informs, has already started updating the next version for 2024. “It is an important document, but it does not replace a national conference. It only explains how the defense sector is organized and reflects the vision of the Arma Forces,” says the teacher.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
