Skip to main content
Lula fires Brazil's army chief, days after warning some military figures were ‘complicit’ in far-right uprising
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the swearing-in ceremony of Tarciana Medeiros, the first woman to preside the Banco do Brasil, one of the country's main public banks, in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 16, 2023

PRESIDENT Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva fired Brazil’s army chief on Saturday, just days after warning that some military members had connived at the far-right January 8 uprising in Brasilia.

The official website of the Brazilian armed forces said General Julio Cesar de Arruda had been removed as head of the army. He was replaced by General Tomas Miguel Ribeiro Paiva, formerly head of the South-east Military Command.

Lula, who did not comment publicly on the firing, met with Defence Minister Jose Mucio, chief of staff Rui Costa and the new army commander in Brasilia at the end of the day. 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talks to journalists during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, October 23, 2025
Tariff row / 17 July 2026
17 July 2026
Journalists work at the entrance of the federal police headquarters, where former President Jair Bolsonaro is being held, in Brasilia, Brazil, November 23, 2025
Brazil / 26 November 2025
26 November 2025
Former President Jair Bolsonaro smiles while leaving the Liberal Party headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, July 23, 2025
Latin America / 5 August 2025
5 August 2025