Official missions cost R$3.5 million to public coffers in 2024; accountability does not always follow the rules
Deputies prioritized Europe on their official mission trips in 2024. 237 type displacements, 84 were destined for a country on that continent – the equivalent of 35%.
If added to the 53 made to USAthe numbers show a preference among congressmen for developed countries. The survey is from Poder360based on data from the Chamber.
South America appears with 71 missions, of which 59 were within Brazil. The South American neighbors received only 12 visits.
Asia was the destination of 21 missions, at the UN climate conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Africa was practically ignored by deputies, with only 1 record: the deputy (PT-RS) went to Equatorial Guinea to participate in a meeting with women from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries.
No official missions to Oceania were found.
TRIPS COST R$ 3.5 MI
The trips represented an expense of R$3.5 million to the public coffers in 2024:
- R$ 1.8 million in passages;
- R$ 1.6 million in daily rates.
Lisboain Portugal, was the city most focused on by deputies, driven by: 24 of the 38 trips had the event as their destination. Known as “Gilmarpalooza”, the forum had STF (Supreme Federal Court) minister Gilmar Mendes as one of the hosts and brought together several authorities. The 24 trips to the Rio event cost the Chamber R$498,964, including air transportation and accommodation.
official missions are “essential for parliamentarians to fully exercise their mandate on behalf of the Brazilian people”.
In general, they are used for technical visits – in the case of national ones – and to participate in international events, such as forums and seminars.
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The Chamber a report of what they did on their trips. There are cases, however, in which the deadline is missed. An example is the deputy (MDB-PA), which spent R$ 13.799 on a trip to New York (USA) in March 2024. So far, in the Chamber system.
Generic descriptions are common. (União Brasil-SE) spent R$ 45.804 when spending 4 days in New York – the most expensive trip of the year. Your has one page and only contains an indication of the events in which he participated, without the concrete impacts on his performance as a congressman.
Here is a list of the 10 most expensive official missions for the Chamber in 2024:
The amount is in addition to the multi-million dollar amount that deputies spent in 2024 from the congressmen’s quota to travel and stay:
- car, boat and jet rental: R$42.7 million;
- airline tickets: R$35 million;
- fuels: R$ 21.9 million;
- hosting: 3.4 million.
THE OTHER SIDE
To the Poder360the deputy Felipe Carreras stated that he presides over the Parliamentary Tourism Front. “It is natural and part of my obligation to travel internally and internationally. Everything strictly within legal criteria”these.
Laura Carneiro stated that the daily rates at the hotel where she stayed were at a normal price. He also declared that, because he has health problems, he has to travel in business class and that he uses the value of the parliamentary quota to which he is entitled to supplement the difference in the air ticket.
Claudio Cajado said that the high value is due to the high prices of airline tickets. He also stated that he received the invitations at short notice, that he needed authorization from the Chamber and that the tight deadline made air tickets more expensive.
Robinson Faria stated that the trip to the Lisbon Forum was the only trip he made in his 2 years in office and that other congressmen also went to the event.
O Poder360 sought out the federal deputy Vinicius Carvalho via a phone call to the office and email to ask if they would like to comment on the Chamber’s 10 most expensive official trips. A telephone call was made to the congressman’s office on January 16 at 5:34 pm. An email was also sent on January 16th at 5:42 pm. There was no response until the publication of this report. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.
O Poder360 sought out the deputy Nilto Tatto to ask if you would like to comment on the Chamber’s 10 most expensive official trips. The deputy said he will not comment.
O Poder360 sought out the deputy Lafayette de Andrada to ask if you would like to comment on the 10 most expensive official trips for the Chamber. The deputy said that the price of the ticket was the cheapest found at the time of purchase to Lisbon. “I participated in the XII Lisbon Legal Forum as a guest to give a conference. The ticket price was the cheapest found on the date of purchase, without any special benefits.”these.
In response to the question of Poder360the deputy Yandra Mouradisclosed through a press release that he participated in an official mission during the UN Women event, held in March 2024, representing the Chamber of Deputies. “All of his actions were widely publicized in the media and on his social networks”. The congresswoman also declared that her activities are fully supported by the Act of the Board of the Chamber of Deputies that grants daily allowances, additional boarding and disembarking fees and air tickets for deputies, and that the March is considered high season for travel to New York, which has resulted in high fare prices.
O Poder360 sought out the deputy Aguinaldo Ribeiro through a messaging app to ask if you would like to comment on the matter of the Chamber’s 10 most expensive official trips. Text messages were sent via WhatsApp on January 17, 2025, at 3:55 pm and 5:30 pm. There was no response until the publication of this report. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.
O Poder360 sought out the deputy André Figueiredo through a messaging app to ask if you would like to comment on the matter of the Chamber’s 10 most expensive official trips. Text messages were sent via WhatsApp on January 17, 2025, at 4:53 pm and 5:30 pm. There was no response until the publication of this report. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.
O Poder360 sought out the deputy Elcione Barbalho by email to ask if you would like to comment on the matter. of the Chamber’s 10 most expensive official trips. The email was sent on January 17, 2025, at 5:53 pm. There was no response until the publication of this report. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.
