May 26 (UPI) — Brazil President Michel Temer recalled troops from the streets of Brasilia on Thursday, less than 24 hours after deploying them to restore order in the nation’s capital.
On Wednesday, demonstrators calling for Temer’s ouster clashed with security forces, set the Agriculture Ministry on fire and vandalized other buildings. Authorities said there were eight arrests and at least 49 people injured among the 35,000 protesters.
It was a “mistake” to deploy the nearly 1,500 troops, said Jairo Nicolau, a professor of political science at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. “It is a bad sign at this moment,” he said. “It could signal weakness from the government.”
Defense Minister Raul Jungmann justified the move because “a protest that was supposed to be peaceful deteriorated into violence, vandalism and disrespect.”
Then on Thursday, less than 24 hours later, the Brazilian troops left their positions guarding government buildings. The deployment originally was intended to last a week.
Temer said “the halt to acts of destruction and violence and the subsequent re-establishment of law and order” motivated him to pull back the troops.
Demonstrators demanded Temer’s resignation amid mounting bribery allegations. Last week, Brazil’s top court released testimony from a meat packing magnate who said he paid Temer and his two predecessors millions in bribes.
The allegations surfaced a day after a recording of a meeting between Temer and Joesley Bautista, head of the massive JBS food company. In it, Temer is heard authorizing Bautista to pay millions in hush money to a convicted former politician who was aware of the prevalence of bribery and corruption in the highest levels of Brazilian government.
“I will not resign. I know what I have done,” Temer said. “I never authorized any payments for someone to be silent. I did not buy anyone’s silence. I fear no accusations.”
