The Brazilian government decided to postpone by 24 hours the first flight to rescue Brazilians in Lebanon, affected by the conflict between Israel and the extremist group Hezbollah. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane that would take off from Lisbon, in Portugal, to Beirut, the Lebanese capital, this Friday (4), is scheduled to depart at 2pm this Saturday (5), Brasília time.
The measure was taken for security reasons, as Israeli bombings arrived close to the Lebanese capital’s airport on Thursday night (3). During the presentation of the “Raízes do Cedro” operation plan in the afternoon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already expressed concern about the offensive near the terminal.
“As a result of the need for additional security measures for land trains heading to the airport in the Lebanese capital, the operation of the first Brazilian repatriation flight will not take place today. New information about the flight will be provided throughout the day” , said Itamaraty in a note.
According to an investigation by the TV Globo and from GloboNewsBrazilians in Lebanon were notified of the postponement through official messages sent by the government. “We inform you that, due to security considerations, the repatriation flight had to be postponed. You will be notified in due course. It will possibly come out tomorrow, 10/05”, says the statement. THE People’s Gazette He contacted Itamaraty to detail the postponement and is awaiting a response.
Minister Mauro Vieira stated on Thursday (3) that the guarantees for a safe FAB flight “will be given by the legal authorities”. “If there is any episode that does not allow the landing, of course it will be postponed”, he said, highlighting that he is in constant conversations with local authorities.
The FAB plane that will carry out the rescue, a KC-30 model, has been in Lisbon since Wednesday (1st) awaiting clearance to continue with the operation. The forecast is that this first return flight will bring around 220 Brazilians, with priority given to the elderly, women, children and people in need of medical assistance.
“First non-resident Brazilians, then resident Brazilians. And, within these categories, the elderly, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities and patients of all forms are established by law”, explained Vieira.
The expectation is that the operation will be able to rescue up to 500 people per week, according to the Air Force commander, Brigadier Marcelo Damasceno. Sources informed the People’s Gazette that around three thousand Brazilians and direct relatives have already contacted the embassy in Beirut asking for repatriation.
However, the government has encouraged those with financial means to leave the country via commercial flights, reserving the list of repatriates for those who cannot afford the return costs. However, he stated that he will not use financial condition as a selection criterion for the rescue.
This is not the first time that Brazil has carried out a rescue operation in the midst of a conflict in Lebanon. In 2006, during a major military crisis between Israel and Hezbollah, approximately three thousand Brazilians were evacuated from the country. Authorities hope that the new repatriation operation will follow the same line, adapting to the conditions and risks that change daily in the region.
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