A Facebook user posted an image claiming that the Brazilian president retired from the Army at the age of 33, but the information is not true.

Jair Bolsonaro, who has a military background, served as a captain in the 8th Field Artillery Group from 1986 to 1988 and later joined the reserves. In November of that year, he was elected to the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Council by the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). Bolsonaro was then 33 years old.

According to Brazilian Historical-Biographical Dictionaryreference work organized by the Fundação Getúlio Vargas Center for Research and Documentation of Contemporary History of Brazil, Bolsonaro’s election was due in part to the controversy generated around his trial after the invasion of the Apucarana city hall, in Paraná , by Captain Luis. Fernando Valter de Almeida protesting low salaries in the Armed Forces in front of 50 officers.

Bolsonaro and fellow captain Fábio Passos da Silva were accused of being behind the plan and tried in June 1988 by the Supreme Military Court. They were acquitted of the charges.

Contacted by the G1, the Brazilian Army confirmed the automatic transfer of the current president of Brazil to the reserve after his election as councilman of Rio de Janeiro in 1988, at the age of 33 (Bolsonaro was born on March 21, 1955). The transfer is determined by Law No. 6.88, of December 9, 1980, which approves the Military Statute.

Article 51 of the same statute says: “If in activity, with 5 (five) or more years of service, when applying for an elective position, he will be temporarily separated from active and added service, considered on leave to deal with private interests.” ; if elected, at the time of his graduation he will go to the paid reserve, receiving the remuneration to which he is entitled according to his seniority in service.”

The election for the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro was the beginning of the political career of the President. “In 1990, two years after being elected, he won the first of seven consecutive terms as federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro,” says Bolsonaro’s biography on the Brazilian Presidency website.

conclusion

Jair Bolsonaro did not retire at 33 years old. In accordance with what is defined by the Military Statute, he was transferred to the reserve for having been elected to the position of councilor in Rio de Janeiro.

Thus, according to the Observer classification system, this content is:

WRONG

In the Facebook classification system this content is:

FAKE: the main content claims are factually inaccurate. This option typically matches “false” or “mostly false” ratings on fact-checking websites.

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