Bolsonaro to the USA: Government has already spent at least R$ 950 thousand – 02/15/2023 – Power

Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) trip to the United States in the last days of his term has already cost at least R$950,000 to public coffers. The amount includes data provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after requesting an LAI (Access to Information Act) and information from the Transparency Portal.

Of the total, R$ 667,500 involve per diems, accommodation, vehicle rental and interpreters, among other expenses, from when Bolsonaro was still president. That is, from December 28th, when the first servers went on a precursor mission to the US, until December 31st.

Another BRL 271,000 was paid in per diems to advisers who stayed with Bolsonaro after he left the Presidency.

The law allows former Executive representatives to keep six advisers paid by the Budget, in addition to two cars with a driver. Thus, Bolsonaro’s stay in the United States, even as a former president, still involves spending on the treasury.

As the servers do not live in Orlando, where Bolsonaro has been since the end of his term, they receive per diems in addition to their salaries. Whoever received the most in per diems was Sergio Cordeiro, who already pocketed R$ 73.6 thousand. Next comes Marcelo Câmara, with BRL 69 thousand, and Max Guilherme, with BRL 64.5 thousand in daily rates. Ricardo Dias and Osmar Crivelatti each received BRL 32.1 thousand

The account does not include expenses with the flight to the USA, made on a FAB (Brazilian Air Force) plane. When contacted, the former president and Itamaraty declined to comment. The Air Force also did not inform the cost of the flight.

Bolsonaro traveled to the United States on December 30, two days before the end of his presidential term, in order not to have to pass the sash to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). In this way, the former president ignored the democratic rite of symbolically transferring power to his successor.

As he was still president of the Republic, until January 1, Bolsonaro benefited from all the prerogatives of the position to travel to the United States. On the first day of the year, he ceased to be president and was replaced by Lula, who took office in Brasília.

In addition to traveling on a FAB plane, Bolsonaro was entitled to rent vehicles funded by the federal government. It cost US$65,300 —or R$338,000— for this purpose.

Presidential trips involve the displacement of an entourage. Accommodation and daily rates for these people totaled US$ 57,800 (R$ 299,000). Itamaraty also financed interpreters for US$ 7.6 thousand (R$ 39.4 thousand).

In Florida, Bolsonaro stayed in a house belonging to MMA fighter José Aldo.

His entry as president allowed a stay in the US for 30 days, a period that ended on January 30. Close to the end of the term, faced with the decision to remain in the foreign country, Bolsonaro asked for conversion to a tourist visa, which allows him to stay in the country for up to six months – but authorize paid activities.

This prevents, for example, the former president from receiving lectures, which was considered by his surroundings to finance his stay.

After the January 8 coup acts, Democratic deputies in the US even asked for Bolsonaro to be expelled, but President Lula discarded any chance of making a request to that end.

The date of Bolsonaro’s return to Brazil is still uncertain. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the former president said that he will return to the country in March to lead the opposition to Lula.

He also mentioned to the newspaper that the right-wing movement in Brazil is alive and will continue.

His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, also traveled to the US, but has since returned to Brazil. Her name was mentioned to run for some elected office in 2026, but she discarded any electoral claim on her Instagram profile.

“Opposition, rest assured. I have no intention of running for any elected office,” he wrote.

According to the former president, Michelle’s mission will be to command PL Mulher.

Bolsonaro also negotiated for himself a position in the PL, with the right to remuneration and a house funded by the party. The plan, however, is on hold while the former president remains in the United States.