- Source: Almir Garnier Santos
Almir Garnier Santos (born 22 September 1960 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian Admiral of the fleet, former Commander of the Brazilian Navy from 2021 to 2023. Garnier has been accused by generals Mauro Cid and Carlos Baptista Júnior of plotting a coup with former president Jair Bolsonaro to overthrow Brazilian democracy in 2022, and he is being formally investigated for his involvement since 2024.
Career
Garnier was General-Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, the second highest office in the department. He concluded his studies at the Navy School in 1981, as the first in the Armada Corp.
As Lieutenant, he served the União and Independência frigates and the Escola Brasil ship. According to the Ministry, Garnier is Master in Operational Research and System Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School, in the United States, MBA in International Management at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and course of Politics and Maritime Strategy at the Naval War School for two years.
Garnier commanded the tanker Almirante Gastão Motta, the Center for Support of Operational Systems, the Naval Systems Analysis Center, the Naval War School and the 2nd Naval District in Salvador, Bahia.
Admiral Garnier worked in the Ministry of Defence from June 2014 to January 2017 as the ministry's special military advisor, advising former ministers Celso Amorim, Jaques Wagner, Aldo Rebelo and Raul Jungmann.
As Admiral of the Fleet, he had served as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defence during the administration of minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva, until 9 April 2021, when he assumed office as Commander of the Brazilian Navy.
Investigation for coup plotting
According to an accusation made by Mauro Cid, aide-de-camp of former president Jair Bolsonaro, Garnier Santos would have accepted to participate in a coup d'état to remove justices of the Superior Electoral Court and the Supreme Federal Court and overthrow the Brazilian democracy in 2022. Former Brazilian Air Force commander Carlos Baptista Júnior also testified that Garnier told Bolsonaro he would put his troops at his disposal, and commented: "If the [ Army ] commander [ Freire Gomes ] had agreed, possibly, a coup d'etat attempt would have taken place."
Garnier Santos was removed from office on January 5, 2023. On February 8, 2024, the Federal Police launched Operation Tempus Veritatis to investigate a criminal organization involved in the attempted coup d'état and the abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, aiming to gain political advantage by keeping the then-president of the Republic in power. Garnier Santos was one of the 33 targets of search and seizure.
Dates of rank
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Almir Garnier Santos
- 2022 Brazilian coup plot
- 2021 Brazilian military crisis
- Marcos Sampaio Olsen
- 57th Legislature of the National Congress
- Cabinet of Jair Bolsonaro
- Ilques Barbosa Junior
- Commander of the Brazilian Navy
- Operation Counterattack
- Dom Casmurro
