Sao Paulo, Brazil — Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement last Thursday warning Brazilians about the risks of voluntary participation in wars abroad.
Itamaraty Palace noted that mercenaries risk their lives and may face criminal punishment.
The warning follows widespread reports of Brazilian deaths in Ukraine’s war in recent months.
The new guidelines allow citizens to be held accountable for crimes committed in foreign wars in international courts and in Brazil.
Itamaraty also warned that once enlisted, Brazilians may have difficulty withdrawing from combat.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns of the risks, including subsequent legal prosecution, of Brazilian nationals voluntarily joining foreign forces in situations of international conflict. There has been an increase in the number of deaths of Brazilian nationals as a result of these conflicts,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that consular assistance to citizens in such cases may be “severely limited” depending on the terms of the contract concluded between the enlisted force and the third country’s military, adding that the Brazilian government is not obliged to use public funds to pay for airfare or the costs of returning citizens abroad.
“In this sense, it is strongly recommended to refuse invitations or offers to participate in foreign military activities,” the memo adds.
The statement added that Brazilians in areas of armed conflict who need consular assistance can contact the Brazilian Embassy in the country where they are located or the on-call service of the Brazilian Community and Itamarrati Consular Support Department in the capital Brasília.
Brazilian deaths in foreign wars
Brazilian media have reported that at least 22 Brazilian citizens have so far been killed in the war between Ukraine and Russia and 45 are missing. In December, domestic media reported the death of Felipe de Almeida Borges.
The 25-year-old, from the interior of Sao Paulo state, was hit by a drone, according to his mother, Clarice Baptista de Almeida, who later learned of her son’s enlistment from friends. He told her he would travel abroad in November 2025 and return in December of the same year.
The most recent case to come to light is that of Wesley Adriano Silva, a 19-year-old man from Pará, northern Brazil. Family members confirmed to Brazilian media that Wesley went to Ukraine as a volunteer “to make his dream come true.”
He was reportedly killed during the conflict in Kupyansk, eastern Europe.
Featured image: This event commemorates Army Day in Italy and the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) in World War II. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
