Institutional military trips around the world cost half a million

The Brazilian military spent BRL 500,000 on institutional trips around the world – the most expensive made by general officers. The military visited the headquarters of the United States Southern Command, the book fairs in London and Paris, the Historic Sites of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force and the monument to the 1st fighter aviation group in Italy. Defense Minister José Múcio Monteiro was at the paris air show, in Le Bourguet. All military trips have already cost R$ 15 million this year.

After the event in France, which was attended by nine soldiers, the Minister of Defense went to the Legal Forum in Lisbon, accompanied by two advisors. The two missions cost R$ 227,000. Lieutenant Brigadier Hudson Potiguara was on Aero India. Brigadier Major Rui Mesquita, Rear Admiral Vagner de Oliveira and retired Colonel Marcos Freire participated in the Mexico Aerospace Fair Exhibition. Brigadier Lieutenant Maurício de Medeiros, plus five advisors, represented the Air Force commander in the Italian Air Force Aerospace Power Conference.

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Admiral Renato de Aguiar Freire, visited the headquarters of the United States Southern Command, in Miami. Army General Eduardo Fernandes made the most expensive trip, on the technical orientation visit to the Brazilian Army Commission in Washington, totaling R$73,000. Fernandes’ plane ticket alone cost R$58,000. Three colonels were at the International Book Fairs in London and Paris for ten days, with expenses of R$ 100,000.

General Tomas Paiva made an official visit to the Argentine Army. Brigadier Alessandro Cramer participated in the inauguration of the monument to the 1st Fighter Aviation Group in Italy. General Fernando Sant’Ana, military commander of the South, attended the ceremony for the Passage of Command of the Uruguayan Army. General Luiz Fernando Baganha made a military diplomatic visit to La Paz. The commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, made an official trip to Asunción to attend the events alluding to the centenary of Paraguayan military aviation.

Triathlon and Sailing Championships

The military made 997 trips, the vast majority for work or study, but they did not forget the military sports championships. Nine military personnel, including six senior officers, participated in the Congress of the International Military Sports Council, April 23-30, in Moscow. There was also the receipt of the 2022 Military Athlete award. The cost of the entourage reached R$ 247 thousand, R$ 157 thousand with per diem.

Army Colonel Nilton Rolim was at the Congress in Moscow and also at the meeting of the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris; at the World Military Triathlon Championship (CISM), in Brive-la-Gaillarde (France); and at administrative meetings at CISM in Brussels (Belgium). From April 23 to May 17, he received R$51,000 in daily rates.

Another 12 military personnel, including eight sergeants, participated in the 24th World Military Triathlon Championship, from May 5 to 9, 2023, in Brive-la-Gaillarde. The expense reached R$ 108 thousand. Seven military personnel participated in the 54th World Military Sailing Championship, from June 7 to 14, 2023, in Piraeus (Greece), at a cost of BRL 89,000.

Military justify institutional missions

The Ministry of Defense told the blog that, in Paris, Minister José Mucio Monteiro, in addition to participating in the paris air show, met with the Minister of Defense of France, Sébastien Lecornu, to discuss opportunities for partnerships in the defense sector and current projects underway between the two countries, such as the Submarines Program, “a strategic project of the Brazilian Navy and the result of partnership with France, which foresees technology transfer”. José Mucio also had lunch with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

In Lisbon, at the invitation of the Faculty of Law of Lisbon, the minister participated in the panel “The Role of the Armed Forces in the Democratic State of Law”, with the presence of members of the Brazilian and Portuguese Armed Forces.

Regarding the visit to Mexico, the ministry stated that the visits to Mexico “are part of the strategic actions to fulfill the institutional mission of the Defense Products Secretariat. The Defense Industry is one of the main generators of technology, employment and income for the country, responsible for 4.78% of the national GDP and for the generation of 2.9 million direct and indirect jobs”.

The Air Force Command stated that the trips for “institutional missions at the service of the Brazilian Air Force involve a series of strategic objectives, such as preparation, training, exchange of experiences and the strengthening of diplomatic ties with friendly nations, which are essential for the development of security, defense and protection of national interests; in addition to contributing to the construction of a solid and globally respected institutional image”.

The Army Command stated that it clarifies that international trips “aim to meet the Strategic Objectives of the Army, covering a large range of activities carried out by the military abroad, such as exchanges and cooperation activities with friendly nations, with the objective of building and strengthening relations of mutual trust besides enabling the training of human resources”.

The Army added that the Technical Guidance Visits are aimed at “supervising the work that is being carried out by the military who are in specific missions and verifying that all the goals and guidelines issued by the Army Command are being met.”