Bolsonaro spent 40% of the budget intended for former presidents

Jair Bolsonaro spent BRL 928,000 on daily rates, tickets, security and other perks in the first quarter of this year – the equivalent of BRL 1,500 on Bolsa Família benefits. The amount represents 40% of the budget spent by the six former presidents – a total of R$ 2.2 million. Most of the expenses were with per diems and tickets for the security guards and advisors who accompanied the former president on the trip to Orlando (USA) – a total of R$755,000. This represents 63% of all former presidents’ expenditures on this type of expenditure.

The second place in the ranking of spending by former presidents was Fernando Collor, with R$ 335 thousand in the first three months of the year – 15% of the total expenditure of former presidents. Per diems and tickets totaled R$ 163,000, of which R$ 107,000 with airline tickets. Commissioned positions for advisors and security guards added up to over R$167,000. Of the 25 air travels, 21 went to São Paulo. Collor did not travel abroad.

The history of ex-presidents’ expenses with per diems and tickets over the last 12 years shows that Bolsonaro’s spending is unprecedented. After ending his first term in 2011, Lula spent the equivalent of R$1.3 million throughout the year. In 2013, it was R$ 1.1 million.

In the first year after leaving the Presidency, in 2017, Dilma Rousseff spent BRL 1.16 million on daily rates and tickets. She traveled the world to propagate that her impeachment would have been a “coup”. In the following year, the expense dropped to BRL 778,000 – an amount close to what was spent by Bolsonaro in just three months.

In 2019, she took the most expensive trip. She spent 42 days on vacation in New York and even went to Seville, Spain. Expenses with 96 nights reached R$ 176,000. That year, she visited 13 countries, spending R$700,000. In the extensive script, she defended the freedom of Lula, who was imprisoned in Curitiba. In Paris, on January 14, she posted on social media: “At the L’Humanité party. For the release of @lulaoficial. Long live Lula! Long live France!” All of Dilma’s expenses were adjusted for inflation.

Bolsonaro’s daily allowances

The abundance of Bolsonaro’s daily expenses is impressive. It was BRL 638,000, which represents 85% of expenses with per diems and tickets. 326 daily rates were paid for an average amount of R$ 2,000. Reserve captain Sérgio Cordeiro received R$ 138,000 for 65 days – R$ 2,100 per unit. Reserve Colonel Marcelo Câmara and Warrant Officer Max Moura, Warrant Officer of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro, received R$ 128,000 each. Tickets for the seven security guards totaled just R$93,000.

There was also the payment of commissioned positions to the military personnel who advise and provide security for Bolsonaro – R$ 164,000 in three months. But this expense is permanent. It would be done even if the former president did not travel. These calculations do not include the salaries of the Bolsonaro support team. The Presidency registers in the Transparency Portal only the gratuities paid to these civil servants.

Bolsonaro spent most of his vacation time in Orlando, but he was at the Power of the People event in Miami, promoted by a right-wing student organization, on February 3. He was also at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the most influential right-wing event in the world, on March 4, which had former US President Donald Trum as its highlight.

Bolsonaro’s vacation actually started at the end of December, when he was still president. Putting it all together, the stay in Orlando on behalf of the taxpayer cost R$ 1 million. In addition to the per diems and tickets from January to March, the Presidency of the Republic had expenses with the support team that accompanied the then president from December 29 to 31, 2022. There were R$ 150 thousand in per diems. Corporate cards paid over R$106,000 in airport fees, on-board food and telephone services.

The perks offered to former presidents are provided for in Law 7,473/1986. All former presidents – José Sarney, Fernando Collor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Dilma Roussef and Michel Temer – enjoy the privileges. Lula was awarded benefits for 12 years. He didn’t give up even in the 580 days he was imprisoned at the headquarters of the Federal Police, in Curitiba. He kept aides, security and even the two armored cars. When he took office in the current term, in January of this year, he gave up everything. But he will be able to resume the blessings when he completes his third term.