Brazil Air Force Major General warns defense minister: ‘There will be no more honest elections’

Correction: The article originally identified the letter's author as a Brigadier, or one-star General. This is incorrect. Eduardo Serra Negra Camerini is a two-star or Major General in the Brazilian Air Force.

Brazilian Air Force Major General Eduardo Serra Negra Camerini, who oversees monitoring biological and chemical threats, sent an urgent letter Sunday to Brazil’s defense minister warning that the country is facing a totalitarian takeover after what many consider to have been a stolen election. 

Brazil has been boiling with civil unrest since October’s presidential election, which many maintain was rigged in favor of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Left-wing president, who served 580 days in federal prison for corruption during his last term, beat Right-wing Jair Bolsonaro with 50.7% of the vote, the narrowest margin in the country’s history. 

Brazil’s military, some of whose members initially joined the millions protesting across the country, did not step in to moderate between the constitutional powers as per Article 142 of Brazil's Constitution as some had hoped. 

Lula, who has vowed to make those who questioned the vaccine “apologize,” assumed office Sunday, January 1, 2023. 

In a copy of the letter obtained by Frontline News, Major General Eduardo Serra Negra Camerini begins by telling the defense minister he is ashamed to be a military man. 

“Never again let it be said that our Armed Forces have never lost a war! Today we lost the biggest one!  We lost our Courage! We lost our Honor! We lost our Loyalty! We lost our Duty! We have lost our Homeland! I am ashamed to be a military man!” writes Camerini. 

“Ashamed to see that everything that I swore, worked and fought for, was betrayed by weak, disloyal and cowardly military men, who ran away from the combat, preferring to support those who always attacked us, always disrespected us, always humiliated us, and always boasted about it, and who still shout that they do not want us in their escort, because they do not trust the military of the Armed Forces, and that they should be ‘put in their place.’” 

Camerini accused the Brazilian Armed Forces of betraying the people and warned that the military will soon be used as a weapon against the people. 

“As Churchill said, ‘Between war and shame, we choose shame.’ And now we will have the shame and the war that will inevitably follow. A war will follow with the people, with the indigenous people, with the truck drivers, with agribusiness, with everyone that does not accept the removal of rights and democracy. Most of the people will see the military as traitors.” 

The major general foresees that the Armed Forces will splinter as he and other military members refuse totalitarian orders from generals:

“The troops will become insubordinate, and rightly so. The generals will pay dearly for this disloyalty [to the people]. They hid their cowardice, saying that there was no fraud at the polls. The Army was the one who could not identify the fraud! But some military and civilians included, did! Vanity prevailed in the Army and its Cyber Warfare Center. They were, once again, not humble enough to recognize their shortcomings. Marketing and defending their image prevailed, but they lost big!” 

Without mentioning him by name, Camerini appeared to make a scathing reference to Alexandre de Moraes, president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and Supreme Federal Court (STF) justice. 

Moraes, an ally of declared President-Elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has gained notoriety in recent months for cracking down on his political opposition. The judge decreed that those who challenge the integrity of October’s contested presidential election will be treated as criminals. Moraes made good on his word by jailing and fining some who questioned the election results, as well as banning Right-wing officials from social media. Most recently, two popular comedians who spoke out against Lula were forced to flee the country after Moraes ordered their arrest without explanation. 

“And what about the blatant partiality of the TSE and the STF, that besides favoring one candidate, they end up unconstitutionally imprisoning politicians, journalists, indigenous people, comedians and even common people, simply for supporting right-wing issues, without even informing them of the crime committed or providing [an] opportunity to defend themselves in due process?” continued Camerini. “Doesn't that count? Didn't that happen? What about the insistent meddling of a partisan judiciary in the affairs of the Executive and Legislative branches? Didn't that happen too?  Where is the defense of the constitutional powers? Where are those who shouted that they would not salute a thief?” 

Given the validation of this fraudulent election, contests Camerini, all future elections are in danger. 

“Are the Generals incapable of seeing that, by validating this election, even with the non-compliance with the order to deliver the source codes running amok in the voting machines, this same method is also validated, not only for all the next elections, for whatever it may be, perpetuating the bandits in power, as well as corrupting future referendums and popular decisions to approve/disapprove any major project of interest to the empowered criminality? THERE WILL BE NO MORE HONEST ELECTIONS!” 

“The bandits will rule with impunity, and the Armed Forces, as already occurs with the Federal Police, will be seen as watchdogs to ensure the dictatorial government,” the major general concluded. “Nevertheless, the people have never forgiven traitors or morons. It will not be now that they will. Ah, yes, generals: You will go down in history! Through the same door that Calabar entered. HOW SHAMEFUL!”