1 octobre 2022
Are Pistols Legal in Brazil
Posted by under: Non classé .
Yet the Mexican military and police are buying weapons from the same U.S. companies named in the lawsuit. Weapons purchased by law enforcement sometimes end up on the black market and end up in the hands of criminal enterprises. In the past two years, 341 long guns and 1,075 pistols have gone missing by the police and military, although this number is likely much higher. While the fragmented structure of Brazil`s security forces makes it difficult to say how many of these weapons have appeared at crime scenes, more than a dozen federal and state police officers told Reuters that a growing number of legally purchased firearms are being used to commit crimes in the continent-sized country. The country`s regulations on firearms are subject to the Colombian legal system and the penal code. Civilians 18 years of age and older may purchase and transport small-calibre handguns and shotguns with barrels of 22 inches or less with a license and for self-defense purposes. That is, higher caliber handguns, semi-automatic weapons and automatic weapons are all prohibited except in « exceptional circumstances ». To obtain approval for an automatic weapon for personal protection, applicants must appeal to the Department of Defense`s Weapons Committee.
All weapons must be registered with the army, which maintains a national register of arms. The armed forces have a monopoly on the sale of arms and ammunition and issue all arms licenses. To obtain a firearms licence valid for 10 years, applicants must pass criminal and mental background checks and demonstrate their ability to use firearms. Transport permits are only valid for three years. Applicants for a licence or permit must prove that the weapon is required either for self-defence or for its profession. Illegal possession of weapons is punishable by four to 15 years` imprisonment. If a licensed firearms owner is convicted of domestic violence, the person`s authorization may be suspended or revoked. In July, police in the southern city of Itajai arrested three suspected bank robbers suspected of stealing about 230,000 reais in two bank robberies.
The group, which police said were planning another imminent attack, was found with two pistols, a shotgun and two T4s — all legally acquired by one of the CAC-registered gang members, Eduardo Ferraz, the case`s lead detective, told Reuters. This is precisely the amount of illegal weapons that many Brazilians blame for the endemic violence and exorbitant murder rate in the country – tens of thousands of people die a violent death each year. Many believe it is unlikely to provide more weapons to « good citizens, » as Bolsonaro wants to do, to solve these problems. On October 31, 2021, the Minas Gerais Military Police and the Brazilian Federal Highway Police carried out two raids against suspected bank robbers who were hiding near Varginha, killing 26 of them. No police officers were injured, as the unilateral toll led to allegations of unlawful executions, which are currently under investigation by the Federal Police. Two years after Bolsonaro`s tenure, the relaxation of Brazil`s gun laws has resulted in a 65 percent increase in gun ownership. While in 2018, about 700,000 firearms were legally privately owned, hunters, gatherers and citizens who want to defend themselves now own 1.2 million weapons. This data was collected by the federal police and the army as part of the research of the Brazilian daily O Globo. Its presence in the hands of a group of suspected bank robbers underscores what federal police and public security experts call an inevitable consequence of Bolsonaro`s gun liberalizations: the criminal use of Brazil`s growing stockpile of legal weapons. For governments across Latin America, reducing violence and ensuring security are high on the agenda.
AS/COA Online reviews firearms legislation in Latin America`s largest economies and identifies firearms licensing regulations. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, gun ownership is legal for civilians, although restrictions are generally strict. In recent years, several countries have tried to tighten gun control, while Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tried to do the opposite. The impact of COVID-19 on gun ownership has not yet been fully seen, although some criminal enterprises have increased during the pandemic. Bolsonaro`s government first proposed the bill in June 2019, just six months after taking office.
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