President authorises citizens to carry guns in public

Brazilian authority has further relaxed gun control laws.

The new decrees by President Jair Bolsonaro, permit citizens to carry up to two guns in public.

The four decrees, issued late Friday, increase the number of firearms Brazilians can own from four to six — or up to 60, for those who practice recreational sport shooting.

They also double the amount of ammunition that gun enthusiasts can buy for specially regulated weapons to 2,000 rounds per year, and scrap controls on access to specialised sharpshooter scopes, pre-20th-century firearms and ammunition up to 12.7 millimeters in caliber.

Another decree eases licensing requirements for gun collectors, recreational marksmen and hunters, allowing them to obtain the required technical certificate from their gun clubs or shooting ranges.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is an outspoken gun-rights advocate who regularly posts pictures on social media of himself at the shooting range.

He ran for office on a promise to arm “good people” to fight crime in Brazil, and regularly flashes his signature gun gesture — thumbs raised, index fingers pointing — to illustrate.

The new decrees were the latest of dozens relaxing gun laws that he has issued since taking office in 2019, though some have been overturned in Congress or the courts.

Gun-control advocates were sharply critical.

Bolsonaro “has now published more than 30 decrees leading to a record increase in guns in circulation last year,” said the Sou da Paz Institute.