President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will receive on Sunday (6) the Brazilians rescued on the first repatriation flight from Lebanon. The group’s arrival at the São Paulo Air Base, in Guarulhos, is scheduled for 10 am.
There are 229 repatriates and three domestic animals. After postponing the trip for a day, this Saturday (5).
“The first repatriation flight of Operation Raízes do Cedro has already taken off. The plan is to rescue people who expressed interest in returning to Brazil, with priority given to the elderly, women, children, pregnant women and people with disabilities,” said President Lula in a post on his Instagram profile.
According to the government, the flight arrival time may change depending on flight conditions.
Before coming to Brazil, the KC-30 aircraft, from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), will stop for fuel in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
The repatriation mission was called Operation Raízes do Cedro. A second flight is scheduled to leave Brazil next Monday (7). The government has updated planning as it monitors the conflict situation in Lebanon. The evaluated plan is to carry out a new flight every 48 hours.
As CNN found, around three thousand people expressed interest in the repatriation mission. The Brazilian government has had difficulty contacting interested parties. This Saturday, the initial forecast was to transport 215 people.
