Federal judge Sergio Moro, participating in a debate on corruption in Sao Paolo, on July 25, 2018. Marcelo Chello / Zuma Press / PA Images. All rights reserved.
On 2 November 2018, in his first interview since being elected President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro responded to a question about his new government´s policy for combating crime by stating that he intended to apply the same rules that the Brazilian armed forces had used in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
´Armed elements are legitimate targets´ he said. 'You don´t confront gunmen with flowers and ask them to hand over their weapons. We know that in an urban setting the collateral damage of an exchange of fire could be disastrous, but I would defend a legal guarantee to all police officers and soldiers involved in operations to uphold law and order. Do not worry about a possible conviction or condemnation for fulfilling your mission.
