In Portugal, the president-elect was asked about the costs and said he ‘hitchhiked’ with his businessman friend
The trip that President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) made to Egypt to participate in the COP27and then to Portugal, where he met with heads of state, could have cost up to R $ 2.8 million, according to a survey carried out by the newspaper Folha de São Paulo
Lula traveled aboard a Gulfstream model jet, with capacity for 12 people, which belongs to entrepreneur José Seripieri Filho, founder of Qualicorp and friend of the PT leader for years.
According to the quote made by the newspaper, renting a model similar to the one used in Lula’s travels – a Legacy 650 – would cost R$ 2.8 million. The aircraft has room for 14 passengers and would need a stop to refuel.
In Portugal, the president-elect was asked about the costs and said he “hitchhiked” with his businessman friend and should accept the favor again for more trips until he takes office. Visits to Argentina and Uruguay are on the radar. Traveling to these countries on an executive jet would cost around R$140,000, according to the newspaper.
The president-elect also said that if he were responsible, Jair Bolsonaro should have offered a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane for the trip, as there is no budget to cover the expenses of a president-elect during the transition period.
“Today there is no forecast for a trip like this on a FAB flight [Força Aérea Brasileira] nor was it offered by the current government, whose president [Jair Bolsonaro] did not go to the COP,” Lula’s advisory said, adding that the PT’s trip to Egypt and Portugal generated image gain for Brazil in the global repercussions.
The affair ended up generating repercussions among Lula’s allies. Edinho Silva (PT), the mayor of Araraquara who coordinated the presidential campaign, told the publication that a change in legislation is needed to include a budget that pays for the transition: “In other countries, this kind of support that President Lula is receiving is normal. There is no controversy. Private initiative to support a president, or a public figure who holds public office, in many countries of the world this is not a problem. In Brazil, it is also due to the political context that we are living”.
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
