Analysis-Brazil military no obstacle to third Lula term, say ex-generals, analysts

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends an event with intellectuals and artists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ian Cheibub

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's armed forces would respect a victory by leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva in this year's presidential race, two retired generals told Reuters, adding to recent signs by military brass distancing themselves from the political project of far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, brought unprecedented numbers of military officers into his government, including key cabinet posts. He has also questioned the credibility of Brazil's voting system, raising fears he might not accept defeat in the October election, as his political counterpart, former U.S. President Donald Trump, did in the United States.