One of the hallmark’s of Bolsonaro’s government has been his push for liberalizing the country’s gun control laws. Since he assumed the office of the presidency in 2019, Bolsonaro issued over a dozen decrees relaxing restrictions on gun ownership for law-abiding Brazilians.
Bolsonaro has been receptive to Brazilian pro-gun organizations such as Viva Brazil, one of Brazil’s strongest pro-gun organizations. According to a report by National Republic Radio titled, “Brazil's firearm ownership booms, and gun laws loosen, under President Bolsonaro”, Brazil’s pro-gun changes have been quite profound. Bolsonaro is a staunch right-winger with a politically incorrect streak. He’s a guy who is not only willing to speak his mind, but he’s also up for rocking the boat.
On gun policy, Bolsonaro has clearly demonstrated this streak. In fairness, Brazil’s gun policies are still more stringent than those in the US, which include mandatory firearms safety tests and psychological exams. Though private citizens in Brazil are now able to buy more potent handguns and ammunition and in greater amounts. In addition, collectors and competitive shooters can buy automatic rifles. This is largely thanks to Bolsonaro’s pro-gun reforms.
According to Brazilian security think tank Sou da Paz, the number of firearms in the hands of private individuals has grown twofold to roughly 2 million since 2018.
To be sure, Brazil still lags the US when it comes to gun policy. That said, Bolsonaro's leadership has fundamentally transformed not only the country’s gun politics, it has opened up new discussions about gun reform in Latin America — a region with very little tradition of civilian gun ownership. The right to bear arms is unique to the US owing to its colonial history and traditions of private gun ownership. However, every country has a right to experiment with firearms policy as they see fit. If they want to move in a pro-gun rights direction, they have every right to do so.
At the end of the day, the right to self-defense helps people of all backgrounds. There’s nothing magical about how it works in the US. For a country that’s plagued by violent crime, Brazil would be well served by a right to bear arms.
No matter if it’s a small business owner confronting a Black Lives Matter mob in the US or a Brazilian having to deal with pervasive street crime, being armed against criminals is simply more effective than waiting on law enforcement — who is minutes away — to come in and save the day.
Hopefully, Brazil continues expanding gun freedom. It would be the best investment for its public security needs. The rest of the NPR piece can be read here.
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