Dilma surpasses Bolsonaro and leads spending by former presidents

President of the Brics Bank, in Shanghai (China), Dilma Rousseff did not give up the perks intended for former presidents of the Republic. She surpassed former president Jair Bolsonaro in December and ended the year leading the spending of former presidents, with a total of R$1.9 million. Fernando Collor came in second place, with R$1.89 million. Bolsonaro started the year by spending R$920,000 on vacation in Orlando, but ended up closing the annual bill in third place, with R$1.85 million. The six former presidents spent R$8.7 million in 2023 – all paid for by the taxpayer.

Dilma’s biggest expense was the remuneration of her security guards and advisors – a total of R$1.17 million. Part of this amount – R$ 211 thousand – was paid to the security guard accompanying Dilma abroad. These are funds for basic remuneration abroad, compensation for representation abroad and housing allowance abroad. This remuneration is based on the legislation that provides for the remuneration of military and civil servants who serve abroad. The server is based at the Brazilian Embassy in China.

Before that, a security guard and an advisor stayed in Shanghai for 133 days, from the end of March to the beginning of August, receiving 264 daily stays worth R$350,000. Dilma spent another R$482,000 on tickets and daily allowances for her security guards and advisors abroad. Passes and daily wages for civil servants in the country increased by 208 thousand.

Bolsonaro concentrated spending on vacation

Bolsonaro went to Orlando still as President of the Republic, on December 29th. He traveled on a presidential plane, accompanied by a large entourage. The expenses passed to the former president’s account on January 1st. In three months in Florida (USA), Bolsonaro spent R$826,000 on daily allowances and tickets for security guards and advisors. The 326 international nights cost R$638,000 – around R$2,000 per unit. The reserve captain who accompanied the former president, for example, received R$138,000 for 65 nights. He has monthly bonuses of R$13,600. Throughout the year, Bolsonaro spent R$1 million on daily allowances and tickets for his support team. The remuneration of security guards and advisors totaled R$789 thousand.

Dilma was the record holder for vacation spending as a former president. In 2019, she spent 42 days on vacation in New York, with a day trip to Seville (Spain) in between. Her 96 daily security guards cost R$136,000.

Collor’s expense profile is different. He spent R$828,000 on the salaries of security guards and advisors and R$948,000 on daily allowances and tickets to the country. He was accompanied by security guards on just one trip abroad, with tickets worth R$24,000. Temer’s biggest expenses in 2023 were on the remuneration of the support team – R$875 thousand. He spent R$268,000 on daily allowances and tickets, of which R$203,000 went abroad. José Sarney’s expenses ended up at R$1 million. There were R$822 thousand for security guards and advisors and R$187 thousand for national trips. Fernando Henrique Cardoso spent R$803 thousand, R$780 of which was on the support team. (See below the total amounts by expense and former president)

Why Dilma maintains stewardship

The blog asked the Presidency of the Republic why Dilma maintains the privileges of a former president, given that she receives a salary of US$50,000 as president of the Banco dos Brics and has the institution’s security guards. The Presidency responded that Law No. 7,474/1986 determines that the State guarantees all former presidents up to six advisors, in addition to two drivers, including for their national and international trips.

The Presidency’s Social Communication added: “It is the duty of the Presidency of the Republic to comply with what the Law provides. The obligation is independent of any activities, paid or unpaid, that may be carried out by former presidents”. True. During the 19 months he was imprisoned in Curitiba, from April 2018, Lula maintained his support team, at a cost of R$1 million.

The Presidency was also questioned by the blog about the payment of daily allowances worth R$350,000 to two civil servants who were in Shanghai. The Presidency stated that these daily allowances refer to two of the six advisors. “These payments were made until August 2023. After this period, these employees who are accompanying the former president began to be assigned to the Brazilian embassy in the Asian country, guaranteeing the continuation of the services provided and without the need for payment of travel allowances”.

The Presidency pays the daily allowances, tickets and other perks only for employees who are part of the support teams. Former presidents pay their own expenses. Each of them also has two armored cars worth approximately R$100,000 each. Former presidents also rely on fuel, maintenance of official vehicles, telecommunications services, insurance and taxes. They also do not receive a pension as a former president.

The biggest expenses

Content edited by:Jônatas Dias Lima