Green outside, red inside: Brazil's army irked by communist 'watermelon' jabs

FILE PHOTO: Soldiers of Brazilian armed forces participate in a parade during Army Day celebrations, in Brasilia, Brazil April 19, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's army, which is facing calls from President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters to stage a coup after his election loss, is unhappy its generals are being derided as "watermelons" - green on the outside, communist red on the inside - by his fans.

Since Bolsonaro lost the Oct. 30 vote against his leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, small but committed groups of his supporters across Brazil have camped out by army bases, begging the armed forces to overrule the election result.