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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | President-elect Jair Bolsonaro named Admiral Bento Costa Lima Leite his minister of mines and energy Friday, continuing his militarization of Brazil’s incoming government.
Seven of ex-army captain Bolsonaro’s 20 ministers announced so far are from the armed forces.
“I’m not appointing military people because they’re from the military. It’s because of their training and what they did when they were active,” said Bolsonaro in quotes carried by the Universo Online website.
As with all his major announcements, far-right Bolsonaro used Twitter to share the news. He is expected to announce his environment and human rights ministers next.
The 60-year-old Lima Leite is currently serving as general manager of nuclear and technological development for the Brazilian navy.
The future mines and energy minister will also join the board of directors of Brazil’s nuclear development authority, Nuclebras.
Bolsonaro has already put the ministries of defense, institutional security, science and technology, infrastructure, and transparency, supervision and control in the hands of military personnel while his government secretary is a retired general.
And there may be more as retired general Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto is a strong candidate to be named the executive’s secretary of social communication.
“There are two ministers to go. They might both be from the military, I don’t know yet,” said Bolsonaro.
