São Paulo, Brazil – On Sunday morning, a Brazilian Air Force plane carrying 229 citizens repatriated from Lebanon landed at Guarulhos Air Base in São Paulo. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was on hand to welcome the group during a welcoming ceremony.
“I hope you find the happiness in Brazil that this bombing took away from you. And that we can rebuild our lives in peace here in Brazil. You know that Brazil has about eight or nine million Arabs and their descendants, most of them Lebanese. We are grateful to you because you helped build the city of São Paulo, the state of São Paulo and Brazil,” said Lula.
(Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / Presidency of Brazil)
It marked the first repatriation flight for Brazilians who sought to leave Lebanon after escalating violence between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Approximately 21,000 Brazilians reside in Lebanon, and at least 3,000 have already informed the authorities of their desire to return to Brazil.
Just hours after it crashed in Guarulhos, the KC-30 took off again, continuing the operation. The second group of repatriates is expected to arrive in Brazil on Tuesday. The Brazilian government aims to rescue around 500 citizens each week as the conflict intensifies.
(Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil)
