Brazil establishes humanitarian assistance post for deported citizens, seeks working group with Washington
01/29/2025
The Brazilian government has decided to set up a humanitarian assistance post for Brazilians deported from the United States. Additionally, it plans to propose the formation of a working group with the U.S. government to address issues related to deportations.
These were the two main solutions presented to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a meeting held on Tuesday (28) at the Planalto Palace. The meeting was convened following reports of mistreatment of Brazilians during a problematic flight that made an unscheduled landing in Manaus last Friday (24).
Brazil’s strategy is not to confront the U.S. government or challenge the mass deportation policy implemented by President Donald Trump. According to Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, the goal is to ensure that Brazilians are brought back to the country safely, with respect for human rights and in accordance with bilateral agreements on the matter.
The chosen method to engage with the Americans is diplomacy, conducted directly from Brasília. The Brazilian embassy in Washington, still attempting to establish initial contacts with senior U.S. officials, will be sidelined to avoid friction with the Trump administration.
As such, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and his team will lead the proposal with the Americans to create a working group. The minister met on Monday (27) with Gabriel Escobar, the commercial representative of the U.S. embassy in Brasília, for a preliminary discussion on the matter. The U.S. diplomatic representation, without providing details, described the meeting as a “technical meeting.”
In a press conference, referring to previous agreements with the Americans, Mr. Vieira reiterated, “On national soil, there cannot and should not be handcuffed individuals, and we will work to ensure that does not happen.”
He also stated that “there was no consideration, nor will there be, of using Brazilian Air Force (FAB) planes” to transport deportees from U.S. soil. The understanding at the Foreign Affairs Ministry is that this responsibility lies with the U.S. government, which decided to carry out mass deportations. However, the foreign minister emphasized that this should be done “in respect of the regulations.”
“We will talk with U.S. authorities to ensure that deportations are carried out in accordance with American and Brazilian laws,” said the Foreign Minister.
Regarding Operation Welcome, Human Rights Minister Macaé Evaristo reiterated during the same press conference that one of the government’s main strategies is to “ensure that families are not separated and that they travel under favorable conditions.”
The government does not yet know the costs or the necessary structure to implement this operation. However, according to Macaé, the post should include representatives from ministries such as Health, Labor, and Human Rights.
The inspiration is to replicate, on a smaller scale, Operation Welcome, established in Roraima to receive waves of Venezuelans continuing to arrive in Brazil through the border town of Pacaraima. Ms. Macaé stated that the government intends to work with businesses to secure employment for deportees. According to her, there has already been “interest expressed by companies willing to promote this.”
During the press conference, Mauro Vieira also seized the opportunity to criticize the U.S. deportation operation. In his view, the transportation of Brazilians was “tragic” and could have resulted in an aviation accident. Finally, the Foreign minister confirmed that President Lula is expected to participate virtually in the upcoming meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), which will specifically address the crisis involving the deportation of illegal immigrants. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday afternoon (30).
*By Renan Truffi — Brasília
Source: Valor International