BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT LUIZ Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, has 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 defence, half today’s allowance.

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

Hunters, sports shooters and collectors will be limited to six weapons, down from 30.

Ammunition purchases will also be restricted, as will the opening hours of shooting ranges which will no longer be able to operate within a kilometre of a school.

According to the anti-violence NGO Instituto Sou da Paz, more than a million civilian-held weapons were on the register in Brazil by July 2022 – nearly three times the number before Bolsonaro took office.

The new decree “represents a step forward to return to standards of responsibility and legal certainty in arms control in Brazil,” the group said in a statement.

The Lula government also introduced a bill Friday to toughen sentences for school violence.

- AFP 2023