The KC-30 aircraft, from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), took off from Beirut, Lebanon, at 6:30 pm (local time) – 12:30 pm (Brasília time) – this Monday (7) with 227 people rescued – including 49 children (7 laps) – and 3 pets on board.
The plane will make a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, for refueling, and will proceed to the São Paulo Air Base, in Guarulhos (SP). The expectation is that the new group of repatriates will arrive in Brazil on Tuesday (8), around 10 am.
According to the Air Force commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Operation Raízes do Cedro will be ongoing with the aim of repatriating around 500 Brazilians per week.
It is estimated that 20 thousand Brazilians live in Lebanese territory. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) accounts for approximately 3 thousand Brazilians who want to leave the countryamid the escalation of military operations by the Israeli Armed Forces.
First phase
The first 229 repatriated Brazilians arrived on Sunday morning (6) at the São Paulo Air Base.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the group. Shortly after disembarking, he gave a quick speech criticizing Israel’s position of “killing innocents, women and children, without any respect for human life.”
“Brazil is a generous country and does not have disputes with any country in the world because we do not want war. War only destroys. What builds is peace”, said the president.
See images of the arrival of Brazilians
