By Arkady Petrov
BRAZIL, RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil is the eternal land of privilege and nepotism. The advantages for the rich and powerful in the country are numerous. What would be unthinkable in other countries is considered normal in Brazil – and it is legal.
It is therefore not surprising that The Chamber of Deputies granted a diplomatic passport to at least 404 children and spouses of deputies, as reported in the latest posts from Brazilian media outlet UOL.
That total exceeds the number of deputies who are bearing the document (369) and those who do not but could request one (144). The document guarantees privileges when traveling abroad.
The Presidency of the House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there are no irregularities in this issue.
UOL conducted a survey on May 3rd and 4th from the Chamber’s web portal and analyzed the relationships of the 513 deputies in the current legislature.
In the data, there are cases of reelected deputies who have kept their previously granted document and of freshmen who have taken the new document.
The deputy who has the largest number of relatives holding the document, according to the Chamber’s website, is the President of the House, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ). In his case, there are seven passports for his children and his wife.
After Maia, there are seven deputies with six passports each for their households, distributed among their spouses, partners, and children. They are:
– Artur Lira (PP-AL)
– Celso Sabino (PSDB-PA)
– Cláudio Cajado (PP-BA)
– Vitoria (Cidadania-ES)
– Edilázio Júnior (PSD-MA)
– Newton Cardoso Júnior (MDB-MG)
– Marcelo Aro (PP-MG)
The other deputies have between two and five passports each.
Of the 369 Members who have a special passport, 161 hold only one for themselves.
The diplomatic passport is one of five categories of this document that the country issues. One of the differences of the “diplomatic” stamp are the privileges for those who travel abroad.
In practice, it facilitates international passage, gives access to a separate waiting line at the immigration service, and makes it easier to obtain visas when needed. This is because the document shows that it is a recognition by the government to the bearer.
Who is Entitled to the Diplomatic Passport?
Representatives of the three branches of government and members elected to Parliament as well as to other high-level posts are entitled to the diplomatic passport.
Those who can apply for the document, according to Decree No. 5.978, of December 4, 2006, are:
– The President of the Republic, the Vice-President and former Presidents;
– Ministers of State, occupiers of special positions and holders of secretariats attached to the Presidency of the Republic;
– Governors of the States and of the Federal District;
– Officials who are career diplomats, both in active employment and retired, officials of the Chancelry and vice-consuls in office;
– Diplomatic couriers;
– Attachés [someone designated] accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
– Military personnel on missions of the United Nations and other international organizations, at the discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
– Heads of special diplomatic missions and heads of delegations at diplomatic meetings, provided they are designated by decree;
– Members of the National Congress;
– Ministers of the Federal Supreme Court, the Superior Courts and the Court of Auditors of the Union;
– Attorney General and Deputy Attorneys General of the Federal Public Ministry;
– Brazilian Judges on international judicial courts or International arbitral tribunals.
What about the Families?
The Presidency of the Chamber and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified that the granting of documents to family members, in the manner in which they were done, did not violate the legislation.
When the decree for the issuing of passports was made official in 2006, there was a need for a regulatory authority over the granting of such documents to spouses and children.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued two ordinances in 2010 and 2011. One for “authorities who hold the privilege by virtue of the function they perform,” and another for “those who should carry it in the best interest of the country.”
According to the two bodies reported on, the special documents granted to the relatives of deputies are justified based on Order 457/2010.
The text of the decree states that “The PADIP [diplomatic passport] may be granted to economic dependents, as defined by Law No. 8.112 / 90, article 197, sole paragraph.”
And it then explains that economic dependents include spouses, children and even a father or mother lacking their own means of support.
The press office of Rodrigo Maia reported that “the President and his relatives (wife and children) hold seven diplomatic passports.”
The press office of Deputy Newton Cardoso Jr (MDB-MG) has already sent a message from the Deputy Secretary of the Chamber (responsible for the issuing of passports) justifying the order of the Foreign Ministry and the legality of the documents.
Deputy Da Vitória (Citizenship-ES) informed, by means of a note, that “the document was requested in accordance with current legislation.”
Deputies Artur Lira (PP-AL), Celso Sabino (PSDB-PA), Cláudio Cajado (PP-BA), Edilázio Júnior (PSD-MA), and Marcelo Aro (PP- MG) were asked for the UOL report between Sunday and Monday but did not respond.