The Army admitted that it could not produce detailed data on weapons in the hands of hunters, shooters, and collectors, a group that benefits from rules edited by President Jair Bolsonaro that facilitate the arming of the population.
The blackout stems from the lack of standardization of the Military Weapons Management System, responsible for registering the CACs. These account for over half of Sigma's registered weapons – 884,000 out of about 1.5 million.
In response to a request from Instituto Sou da Paz via the Access to Information Law (LAI), the Army recognizes flaws, such as the cataloging of mortars and cannons, which are prohibited for CACs. Questioned by Folha, Força said it would only speak up for LAI.
In 2017, the Federal Audit Court ordered the modernization of this database. For experts, there is clear resistance to improving weapons tracking.
A plan to integrate Sigma into a system accessed by the police has not progressed either.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon