BRAZIL, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDER ARMY POWER SINCE 1964, CELEBRATED ITS NATIONAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, ON SUNDAY (7 SEPTEMBER) WITH A BIG MILITARY PARADE THROUGH THE STREETS OF RIO DE JANIERO, IN WHICH 25,000 SOLDIERS TOOK PART.

THE PARADE, WHICH WAS REVIEWED BY THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY RULING JUNTA, CELEBRATED THE DAY IN 1822 WHEN DOM PEDRO, THE PORTUGUESE PRINCE REGENT, SOLEMNLY PROCLAIMED THE INDEPENDENCE OF BRAZIL FROM PORTUGAL ON THE PLAIN OF IPIRANGA, NEAR SAO PAULO.

THE PARADE WAS THE FIRST OCCASION ON WHICH THE JUNTA OF ARMED-FORCES CHIEFS -- GENERAL AURELIO DE LYRA TAVARES, ADMIRAL AUGUST RADEMAKER GRUNEWALD, AND AIR MARSHAL MARCIO DE SOUSA EL MELO -- HAVE BEEN SEEN IN PUBLIC SINCE THEY TOOK CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY TWO WEEKS AGO FROM PRESIDENT ARTHUR DA COSTA E SILVA, WHO SUFFERED A STROKE AT A CRUCIAL MOMENT WHEN HE WAS ON THE POINT OF RECONVENING BRAZIL'S CONGRESS AND INITIATING CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS.