The Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government used BRL 375.9 million leftovers from Bolsa Família to cover expenses for the Armed Forces.
The funds were reallocated at the end of 2021 and covered everything from housing assistance for the military to strategic projects by the Ministry of Defense, such as the Astros 2020, a system of multiple missile launchers.
The money can be applied to military spending after Congress eases the destination of the balance of the income transfer program that was replaced by Auxílio Brasil.
THE Sheet showed that R$90 million in funds originally reserved for Bolsa Família were used to purchase tractors from Bolsonaro allies.
In total, the government reallocated around R$ 18.8 billion from the program to other actions. Almost half of that amount paid for the first installments of Auxílio Brasil — the government’s bet on Bolsonaro’s reelection.
The rest was free to cover virtually any government spending. The Economy passed through the Access to Information Law to Sheet data on the destination of these resources.
In the case of the military, the largest portion (R$ 130 million) was used for maintenance and supply of aeronautical material.
The budget action for the purchase of aircraft fuel and lubricants received R$ 55.4 million.
Among other expenses, the “implementation of the Army Aviation System” took BRL 45.6 million, while BRL 34 million was invested in Astros 2020.
Defense also received BRL 20.88 million to pay for the movement of military personnel and BRL 2.7 million for assistance with costs or housing allowance.
The government managed to save money on Bolsa Família by launching Emergency Aid, because some beneficiaries had the payment of the income transfer program suspended and only received resources from the action created in the pandemic.
The use of this resource was limited by the TCU (Union Court of Auditors). The body determined, in 2020, that the money could only cover expenses with the pandemic or social assistance, but Congress relaxed the rule.
In a note, the Economy said that the amount sent to the Armed Forces was authorized by the JEO (Budget Execution Board) and corresponds to less than 4% of the surplus from Bolsa Família.
During the Bolsonaro government, the Ministry of Defense charged the Economy, several times, more money. The then minister Braga Netto stated, in a letter of June 2021, that the Armed Forces were scrapped, as shown by the Sheet.
Despite the complaints, the Brazilian military escaped the salary squeeze applied to spending on civil servants during the Bolsonaro administration.
The top of the Armed Forces has made continuous gestures of alignment with the president.
as showed the Sheetafter 25 years of silence on electronic voting machines, Defense presented dozens of questions and seven main suggestions for changes to the rules of the elections.
Sponsored by the electoral court itself, the entry of the military into the debate on the election gave Bolsonaro ammunition to promote attacks on the electoral process.
Bolsonaro has said that he himself, as president of the Republic, started to participate in the debate on the elections with the space given to the military.
“They [TSE] invited the Armed Forces to participate in the electoral process. Have they forgotten that the supreme chief of the Armed Forces is called Bolsonaro?”, said the president at the end of April, when he promoted an official event in Planalto with attacks on the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
Leftovers fund vaccines and drug war
Economic data also point out that R$ 1.36 billion of the balance of the program fed budget action on the purchase of Covid vaccines.
In general terms, the government also reported that R$ 3.74 billion was used in “various budget units”.
The government also invested R$78 million in the Ministry of Citizenship’s “drug demand reduction” action.
In general, this part of the Budget funds the actions of therapeutic communities. These religious entities have become the Bolsonaro government’s bet on the treatment of drug addicts, but they receive criticism from human rights organizations.
Under this Citizenship heading, R$ 24.5 million was allocated to actions by the State Labor Department of the Federal District, in professional training actions and in the purchase of basic food baskets, according to data from the Transparency Portal.
Sought, Cidadania and the DF government did not explain whether these payments are related to the “reduction in drug demand”.
MAIN EXPENSES OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH MONEY FROM BOLSA FAMÍLIA
R$ 130 million – maintenance and supply of aeronautical material
R$ 55.4 million – purchase of aircraft fuel and lubricants
R$ 45.6 million – implementation of the Army Aviation System
BRL 34 million – Astros 2020 program, missile launcher system
R$ 20.88 million – movement of military personnel
R$ 2.7 million – allowance or housing allowance
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