Spending by former presidents should close the semester at R$ 3.7 million

Spending by former presidents of the Republic on travel, security, vehicles, should reach R$ 3.7 million by June. Just in per diems and tickets for security guards and advisors, R$ 1.5 million has already been wasted. Former president Jair Bolsonaro spent BRL 816,000 on these trips – 55% of the total spent by former presidents. Adding up all expenses, he will spend R$ 1.2 million in six months. Lula’s perks as a former president are suspended during his current term.

Excluding tickets and per diems, the expenses of former presidents until April amounted to R$ 1.46 million. These values ​​project a spending of R$ 2.2 million until June. But this data is partial because it only involves the commissioned positions of security guards and advisors, not counting the salaries they receive from the government. The expenses of Bolsonaro’s support team with these positions, for example, would add up to R$ 324 thousand. Including the salaries of civil servants, including active duty military, the account will close at R$ 526,000 in the semester.

The perks of former presidents are provided for in Law 7,474/1986. They have up to eight servants – security guards, drivers and advisors – with salaries paid by the Presidency of the Republic; per diems and tickets for these servers; two armored cars, with fuel and maintenance; telecommunications insurance and fees. Lula kept the benefits even during the 580 days he was imprisoned in Curitiba. They cost the taxpayer R$1.2 million. Lula did not say what the drivers and security guards were doing during that period.

International rates of BRL 2 thousand

This year, the former presidents have already spent R$1.5 million on trips in Brazil and around the world. With a three-month vacation in Orlando, Florida (USA), Bolsonaro spent BRL 826,000 on per diems and tickets for security guards and advisors. Most (R$638,000) paid for the 326 international daily rates – around R$2,000 per unit. Reserve captain Sérgio Cordeiro, for example, received R$ 138,000 for 65 nights. He has bonuses of R$ 13,600 per month. Reserve Colonel Marcelo Câmara received BRL 10,400 per month in bonuses, plus BRL 128,000 in per diem.

Bolsonaro began his vacation when he was still president. The per diems of its support team at the end of December added up to over R$ 150,000. In addition to expenses with per diems and tickets before the turn of the year, expenses totaling R$ 106.5 thousand were incurred with airport/commission fees, travel insurance and telephony, according to the Presidency of the Republic informed the blog through the Law of Access to information.

After the end of the vacation/sabbatical period, Bolsonaro traveled only in Brazil. He was in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Campinas, Ribeirão Preto (SP), Campinas (SP) and Mangaratiba (SP). The 20 shifts by security guards cost R$75,000, R$54,000 of which for tickets. Considering all perks, its expenses reached R$ 1.2 million.

In second place in the spending ranking, former president Fernando Collor, a political ally of Bolsonaro, spent BRL 425,000 on per diems and tickets for his support team. His total expenses came to R$780,000.

Dilma maintains security team

With her inauguration as president of the Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento, or “bank of the BRICs”, Dilma Rousseff reduced spending on trips abroad with resources from the Brazilian taxpayer. It was only R$ 98 thousand. But she spent R$ 270,000 until April with bonuses from her security guards and advisors. Keeping this pace, her total expenses will be R$ 530 thousand until June.

Dilma maintained her support team even after assuming the presidency of the “Brics bank”. The Transparency Portal informs that the employees of the security and support team for former President Dilma who remained in Brazil “continue working to provide assistance and advice to her, on a permanent basis”, as provided for in Decree No. 6,381/2008, which regulates Law No. 7,474/1986.

Temer should close the semester with expenses of R$ 500 thousand, of which R$ 130 thousand with per diems and tickets for his support team. On trips to New York and Santa Ana (USA), expenses totaled R$ 80,000. José Sarney’s expenses should reach R$ 380 thousand in the semester. In the case of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in R$ 315 thousand.

Spending by former presidents is available on the “Open data on former presidents” page of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, usually with a delay of two months. Expenses with per diems and tickets are published on the “Detailed queries” page, in the item “Business trips”, with data up to June. The salaries of security guards and advisors can be found in individual searches under “Servants and pensioners”, always on the Transparency Portal. Publication is required by the Freedom of Information Act.

Costs related to security measures for former Presidents of the Republic do not include expenses with former Presidents, only with the team and vehicles made available to them, established in Law nº 7,474/1986. It is foreseen that the President of the Republic, at the end of his mandate, is entitled to 06 servants for security, personal support and advice; and 02 official vehicles with drivers. The costs of security measures do not include expenses with former presidents, only with the team and vehicles placed at their disposal.