President Lula welcomes Brazilians repatriated from Lebanon
A Brazilian Air Force KC-30 aircraft landed at São Paulo Air Base in Guarulhos at 10:25 a.m. this Sunday (Oct. 6), carrying 229 Brazilian citizens and three pets.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the group upon their arrival. Shortly after disembarking, he addressed the returnees with a brief speech, condemning Israel's actions, stating that they were "killing innocent people, including women and children, with no regard for human life."
“Brazil is a generous country and has no disputes with any country in the world because we don't want war. War only destroys. What builds is peace,” said the president.
The same aircraft took off from São Paulo Air Base at 2:12 p.m. (Brasília time) on Sunday (6), bound for Beirut, Lebanon, carrying donations of medical supplies from the Brazilian government to Lebanon: 20,000 syringes with needles and 4,000 individual needles.
According to Air Force Commander Air Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, the operation aims to repatriate approximately 500 Brazilians each week. The next group of returnees is expected to arrive in Brazil on Tuesday (8), around 10 a.m.
First phase
The aircraft departed from Lebanon on Saturday (5) at 1:18 p.m. (Brasília time) and made a refueling stop in Portugal. It resumed its journey from Lisbon at 11:56 p.m., continuing on to Brazil.
The flight marks the first phase of the Brazilian government's Operation Cedar Roots, an initiative to repatriate Brazilians from Lebanon.
It is estimated that around 20,000 Brazilians reside in Lebanon. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that approximately 3,000 Brazilians wish to leave the country amid escalating military operations by the Israeli Armed Forces.
