In 2022, Swiss companies exported war material worth CHF 955 million to 60 countries based on licenses from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) – that is 29% more than in 2021. Despite the new War Material Act, ammunition was also exported to Brazil – despite the tense political situation and human rights violations.
The fears of terre des hommes schweiz have been confirmed: Swiss companies continued to export ammunition worth CHF 1.8 million to Brazil. In no other country in the world are so many people killed in police operations as in Brazil. Many of the victims are children and young people from poor neighborhoods(Arms Export Study 2021). Although human rights are clearly being violated, Swiss arms companies continue to do business in Brazil. The War Material Act, which has been in force since May 2022, has not changed this.
The consequences of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro’s arms policy, which terre des hommes schweiz has been critically analyzing for years, are still visible after the handover to Lula da Silva. During Bolsonaro’s time in office, more than 40 decrees were published making it easier to buy weapons. The number of registered weapons owned by civilians has more than tripled to 1,300,000 since 2019. The pro-gun discourse propagated by Bolsonaro has made authoritarian and anti-democratic tendencies acceptable. The hatred that has been stirred up over the years escalated on January 8, 2023 with the violent storming of the Brazilian parliament and the Supreme Court. A frontal attack on democracy.
Export licenses questionable
Despite the new government, the socially heated climate will remain, polarization persists and the legal reappraisal of the violent events of January is a major challenge.
Against this backdrop, the question arises as to how precisely the Swiss authorities analyze the human rights situation and the risks of political violence when approving arms exports. The War Material Act prohibits the supply of weapons to countries in civil war and to countries that seriously or systematically violate human rights. The actual implementation of the law in licensing practice leaves many questions unanswered.
