RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The leaders of all three branches of Brazil’s armed forces have jointly resigned following President Jair Bolsonaro’s replacement of the defense minister. That’s causing widespread apprehension of a military shakeup to serve the president’s political interests. The Defense Ministry reported the resignations on Tuesday without giving reasons. Replacements were not named. But analysts expressed fears the president, increasingly under pressure, was moving to assert greater control over the military. Bolsonaro is a conservative former army captain who has often praised Brazil’s former period of military dictatorship and has relied heavily on current and former soldiers to staff key Cabinet positions since taking office in January 2019.
