Brazil: Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, has signed a decree tightening restrictions on civilian access to guns in Brazil.
There was a significant increase in registered users during the time Mr. Jair Bolsonaro served as Brazil’s president. According to the 2023 Brazilian Yearbook of Public Security, the number of registered gun owners in the country has increased to nearly 800,000, a substantial rise from the figure of less than 120,000 which was recorded in 2018.
Under the new decree, individuals face limitations on the number of guns they can possess for personal safety. The limit has been reduced from four guns to two per person. The decree also imposes restrictions on the amount of ammunition allowed for each gun. Previously, individuals could possess up to 200 rounds of ammunition for each firearm they owned.
However, with the new regulations, this allowance has been significantly reduced to only 50 rounds of ammunition per gun. The decree now requires individuals to provide documentation that proves their need to own the weapons.
We will continue to fight for fewer weapons in our country. Only the police and the army must be well-armed.
Mr. Lula stated.
“It is one thing for a citizen to have a gun at home for protection and assurance, but we cannot allow there to be arsenals of weapons in people’s hands,” Mr. Lula said in his speech.
The announcement comes following a series of recent school shootings. The country has recorded an average of more than five murders per hour in 2022, as reported by the Public Security Forum, an NGO.