Government raises level of concern with RN but does not want to send the Armed Forces

The Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, said this evening in Rio Grande do Norte that he sees no reason to decree the Guarantee of the Law of Order (GLO) in the state, which would mobilize military action.

Following guidance from the President of the Republic, the minister went to the location this Sunday (19th) after almost a week of the wave of violence hitting Natal and other municipalities in the state.

Dino classified the situation as an emergency and said that whatever is necessary will be done.

Despite the deployment of troops from the National Force and, according to the minister, the use of R$ 5.3 million in actions to support the federal government in security and in the state penitentiary system, Rio Grande do Norte continues to be the scene of disorder, in which bandits set fire to public and private buildings since the early hours of Tuesday (14).

For the minister, the reinforcement of police continues, which does not include the use of military personnel. “Armed forces make war, defense of sovereignty, foreign war. It only places the Armed Forces in public safety when there is an absolute collapse of security. We are not here to be irresponsible, make fake news, political spectacle. I hope that GLO is not needed to solve the problem, if it is we will do it”, he said.

This Sunday, President Lula spoke with the governor of the state, Fátima Bezerra. The federal government states that more vehicles and weapons will be sent, as well as the restructuring of the Potiguar penitentiary system, with the construction of new units. “Right now, Rio Grande do Norte is a national priority,” said Flávio Dino.

When asked, the minister avoided talking about the reasons that gave rise to the crisis, saying he would make a new diagnosis tonight with local authorities. According to him, it is a “crisis under control” and that “comes from long-standing structural reasons”.

Fátima Bezerra is in her second consecutive term as governor. She has been under pressure to dismiss members of the local Public Security Secretariat, given the lack of control.