Deputies spent R$6.6 million on international trips

Federal deputies spent R$5.9 million on “official mission” trips abroad in 2023. Considering flights on Brazilian Air Force (FAB) jets, run by President Arthur Lira, the amount goes to R$6.6 million . A deputy’s ticket to Toronto, Canada, cost R$90,000. Dozens of deputies filled President Lula’s travel delegations. In 2022, the last year of the Bolsonaro government, the deputies’ official missions cost R$1.3 million.

The price of tickets to certain destinations varies a lot, for a few reasons. Of the 323 trips, 28 were in business class, with an average value of R$32,000. The four most expensive cost an average of R$71,000. The Chamber’s leadership, made up of members of the Board of Directors, bench leaders and committee presidents, have the right to travel in business class. Deputies from the so-called “lower clergy” can upgrade to executive and pay the difference with the budget for exercising their mandate – the “Cotão”. Tickets purchased at the last minute are also very expensive.

Tickets to New York, for example, cost from R$3,500 to R$15,000. For Dubai, from R$7,600 to R$76,000. Representative Rodrigo de Castro’s (União-MG) trip to Toronto for a technical visit to the company Vale Metais Básicos, from December 18th to 20th, cost R$99,000, including R$89,700 for tickets.

The most expensive missions

The most expensive trip was to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, in December, to participate in the Conference of Nations on Climate Change – COP 28.

106 daily nights worth R$217 thousand and tickets worth R$419 thousand were paid, for a total expense of R$635 thousand

The five executive tickets alone, with an average value of R$52 thousand, totaled R$258 thousand. The most expensive, from deputy Fábio Macedo (Podemos-MA), reached R$76.4 thousand. On the other hand, the ticket of deputy Renilce Nicodemos (MDB-PA) to the same event cost R$7,600.

The delegation of ten deputies, who accompanied President Arthur Lira to New York, in May, for the DATAGRO Conference on Sugar and Ethanol, the Lide Brazil Investment Forum and the Gala Dinner for the “Personality of the Year” Award, promoted by the Chamber of Brazilian-American trade cost R$532 thousand. Also considering the expense of R$220,000 on the FAB jet, available to Lira, plus expenses on the president’s security guards and advisors.

In September, nine deputies participated, in New York, in the opening ceremony of the General Debates of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. Travel expenses totaled R$110,000 because only two deputies traveled by airliner. The rest were part of President Lula’s entourage. Six of them participated in the reception offered to the President of the Republic’s delegation at the opening of the Brazil on Focus seminar, promoted by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo.

The president of the Chamber was also on this “official mission”. Accompanied by an advisor and a security guard, he was in New York from September 17th to 21st. Lira’s flight on a FAB jet departed from Maceió, where he lives, on the 16th at night. He returned from New York to Brasília on the 20th. Just moving the official aircraft cost R$213,000. The daily wages and insurance for the servers totaled R$30,000.

Lira participated in New York in President Lula’s meeting with businesspeople and investors and in a dinner offered by Fiesp to President Lula. She participated in the opening session of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and the reception for President Lula.

R$800,000 trip to Lisbon

President Lula’s delegation on an official visit to Shanghai and Beijing, China, included 14 deputies. They traveled on an official aircraft, but daily expenses totaled R$108,000. Nine deputies were in President Lula’s delegation to Lisbon in April. Parliamentarians’ daily allowances cost R$90,000.

The delegation of 13 deputies participated in meetings at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and at the French parliament, in Paris, from April 30th to May 6th. The delegation’s expenses reached R$315,000, of which R$187,000 were for tickets. Four of them traveled in business class, costing an average of R$31,000. Saulo Vianna’s (União-AM) ticket cost R$33,000. That of Tábata Amaral (PSB-SP) was R$8,800.

The Lisbon Legal Forum, promoted by the Faculty of Law of Lisbon and the Brazilian Education Institute (IDP), created by the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court, Gilmar Mendes, attracted 21 deputies. Daily rates and tickets cost R$434,000. But Lira’s jet cost more than R$236,000. Including the expenses of the president’s security guards and advisors, the bill for the Chamber, that is, for the taxpayer – reached R$796 thousand. As the blog revealed, the trip by authorities from the Legislative, Executive and Judiciary to the Lisbon Forum cost R$2.5 million to the public coffers.

Content edited by:Aline Menezes