by Alberto Galvi –
Brazil’s President Lula has signed a decree tightening restrictions on civilian access to guns, a move aimed at reversing his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s pro-gun policies. The decree reduces the number of weapons that civilians can possess for personal safety from four to two, the ammunition allowed for each weapon goes from 200 to 50 and specific documentation has been introduced to prove the need to possess weapons. The decree also bans civilians from owning 9mm handguns, limiting them to members of the police and military.
During his presidency from 2019 to 2022, Bolsonaro relaxed the rules on possession of weapons and ammunition. While there is no right in the Brazilian constitution to own guns, estimates of the number of guns in civilian hands have more than tripled to 2.9 million in a country of 214 million people. Despite the increase in guns, the murder rate in Brazil has remained stable during Bolsonaro’s tenure.
Lula’s government is encouraging citizens to sell firearms that are not allowed under the new rules before the end of the year, otherwise they risk seizure by the federal police. Restrictions are also placed on shooting ranges, which proliferated during the Bolsonaro government. Lula’s new policy also changes the duration of the firearm license, depending on the owner.
The new rules also solidify the Federal Police’s status as the official gun custodian, sidelining the military, who previously filled that role. In May, Lula’s justice minister set a deadline for citizens to legally register firearms with the federal police. This was previously typically performed by the military, but due to the tendency of many of its members to support Bolsonaro, the new Lula government has questioned the reliability of the military in performing that function.
