São Paulo, Brazil — The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement last Thursday warning Brazilians about the risks of voluntary enlistment in foreign wars.
The Itamaraty Palace cited that, in addition to risking their lives, mercenaries may also face criminal prosecution.
The warning follows widely publicized cases of Brazilians dying in the war in Ukraine in recent months.
Under the new guidelines, citizens could be held accountable for crimes committed in foreign wars, both in international courts and in Brazil.
Itamaraty also warned that, once enlisted, Brazilians may face difficulties in withdrawing from combat.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns of the risks, including subsequent legal prosecution, of the voluntary enlistment of Brazilian citizens in foreign armed forces in the context of international conflicts. There has been an increase in the number of cases of Brazilian nationals losing their lives in such conflicts,” the statement said.
The ministry warned that consular assistance to citizens in these cases may be “severely limited” by the terms of contracts signed between enlisted personnel and the armed forces of third countries, and adds that the Brazilian government is not obligated to use public funds to pay for airfare or the return of citizens from abroad.
“In this sense, it is strongly recommended that invitations or offers of work or participation in foreign armies be refused,” the note adds.
The statement also adds that Brazilians in armed conflict zones who need consular assistance can contact the Brazilian embassies in the countries where they are located or the on-call service of the Division of Brazilian Communities and Consular Assistance of Itamaraty, in Brasília, the capital.
Brazilians killed in foreign wars
Brazilian media reports that at least 22 Brazilian citizens have died in the war between Ukraine and Russia so far, while 45 remain missing. In December, the national press reported the death of Felipe de Almeida Borges.
A native of the interior of São Paulo state, the 25-year-old was struck by a drone, according to his mother, Clarice Baptista de Almeida, who learned of her son’s enlistment later from friends. He had 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, in northern Brazil. Family members confirmed to the Brazilian press that Wesley went to Ukraine as a volunteer to “fulfill a dream.”
He reportedly died during a conflict in the east of the European country, in the city of Kupiansk.
Featured image: The celebration of Army Day and the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) in World War II, in Italy. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
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