Lula’s govt restricts gun ownership

BRASÍLIA, July 22 (AFP): Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday signed a decree to limit civilian access to firearms, seeking to undo a boom of gun ownership under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Under Bolsonaro, private gun ownership nearly tripled as he loosened controls in a nod to his "Bibles, bullets and beef" support base.

"We will continue to fight for fewer weapons in our country. Only the police and the army must be well-armed," Lula said in Brasilia as he unveiled a series of violence-curbing measures.

The move came after several recent school shootings in a country that registered more than five murders per hour on average in 2022, according to the Public Security Forum, an NGO.

Lula's decree on "responsible arms control" will see individuals limited to two weapons for personal defense, half today's allowance.

Anyone wishing to acquire a gun would have to prove that they need it.