Brazil government cuts R$ 345 million from Defense and Federal Highway Police

The administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled R$ 345.78 million in budget allocations for the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, and the Federal Highway Police (PRF). The decision, published in the Official Gazette, reallocates these funds to support social programs and healthcare.

Within the Ministry of Defense, R$ 226.51 million was removed, affecting the contingency reserve by R$ 112.72 million. Specific cuts include R$ 51.42 million from the Army, R$ 32.56 million from the Air Force, and R$ 29.82 million from the Navy. Additionally, R$ 119.26 million was canceled from the PRF budget regarding personnel and social charges. These funds were intended for active-duty military personnel, civil servants, pensions, and retirements.

The government stated that these cancellations involve the removal of spending authorizations rather than a reduction in actual salaries or benefits. The reallocated funds will primarily support the Continuous Cash Benefit (BPC) for people with disabilities and life-long disability pensions, totaling approximately R$ 4.73 billion, as well as pharmaceutical assistance through the Unified Health System (SUS).