Body of pastor killed in earthquake in Venezuela arrives in Brazil for burial in Uberlândia

Family of pastor from Uberlândia campaigns for transfer after death in Venezuela
The body of pastor Romildo Batista de Lima, aged 69, who died during the earthquakes in Venezuela, arrived in Brazil and will be buried at 1pm this Saturday (4), at the Paz Universal Cemetery and Crematorium, in Uberlândia, in the Triângulo Mineiro.
The family managed to raise around R$50,000 to fund the repatriation of the body, as Brazilian legislation does not provide for the payment of international transfer expenses. The high cost had already been explained by g1.
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Although a plane ticket between Caracas and Uberlândia costs just over two minimum wages, transporting a body cannot be done on a common commercial flight and requires a series of specific procedures, which makes the process more complex and expensive.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, repatriation requires the issuance of consular documents, health authorizations, embalming and hiring of a specialized funeral service. Understand below.
In similar cases, the transfer of bodies from abroad to Brazil can vary between R$30,000 and R$200,000, depending on the distance, urgency and requirements of the country where the death occurred.
Restrictions on air operations delayed the transfer
In Romildo's case, logistics were also impacted by the bureaucracy for releasing the body and restrictions on air operations in Venezuela.
Itamaraty reported that the consular registration of Death is free, but Brazilian legislation does not provide for the cost of embalming, cremation, burial or transfer, except in exceptional situations. Therefore, the costs had to be borne by the family and people who contributed to the fundraising campaign.
Next, see how the process of moving a body from abroad to Brazil works and what is known so far about the pastor's death.
How does the death registration of a Brazilian abroad work? transfer
Family faces difficulties bringing body to Brazil
Pastor visited his wife's family in Caracas
How does the death registration of a Brazilian abroad work?
1. The death is registered at the Brazilian embassy or consulate
Registration must be made at the Brazilian representation responsible for the country where the death occurred.
The declaration must preferably be made by a family member, such as a spouse, child, brother, mother or father.
In some cases, an authorized representative, such as a funeral home, can also carry out the procedure.
2. Documents must be presented
Among the main documents required are:
completed death registration form;
death certificate issued by local authorities;
Brazilian identity document of the deceased;
identity document of the family member or representative making the declaration.
3. Registration is free
There is no cost to issuing a consular death certificate.
4. The document must be validated in Brazil
After being issued by the embassy or consulate, the certificate must be transcribed at a civil registry office in Brazil to have legal validity.
How does the transfer of the body to Brazil work?
romildo pastor uberlândia death venezuela
Reproduction/Social Networks
In addition to the death registration, it is also necessary to issue and legalize other documents, including:
authorization for international transport of the body;
original death certificate;
embalming certificate;
health certificate proving that death was not caused by a contagious disease.
In cases of infectious diseases, the body must be transported in a hermetically sealed metal urn.
The bodies where certificates, certificates and certificates are issued vary depending on the country.
Who pays for the transfer?
According to the Itamaraty, the Brazilian government does not cover expenses such as:
embalming;
cremation;
transfer of the body or ashes to Brazil;
burial abroad.
As a rule, these costs are the responsibility of the family or of people and institutions that decide to provide financial support.
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Pastor who died during the earthquakes in Venezuela was visiting his wife's family
Family raised a fundraiser to cover transfer costs
With the cost of the transfer estimated at around R$50,000, the family of pastor Romildo Batista de Lima started a virtual fundraiser to bring the body back to Brazil.
A campaign was created after family members were informed that the body could not be transported on a commercial flight.
According to TV Integração, the family managed to get a boarding for Saturday (27). However, after releasing the body to the funeral home, it was informed that the state of conservation did not allow transportation on a commercial aircraft.
The pastor's death was confirmed by his wife, Carlha Nacarid, who was injured and remains hospitalized in Venezuela. The information was passed on to g1 by the couple's niece, Jhulya Ribeiro de Lima.
According to Carlha, when the earthquake began, on Wednesday night (24), the couple ran to seek shelter. However, a wall fell on them both. Romildo was rescued and taken to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and died in the early hours of Thursday (25).
According to Jhulya, after several contacts from the family, the embassy began the procedures for the return of the body, including the issuance of the death certificate.
However, given the impossibility of transporting the body on a commercial flight, the relatives had to look for another alternative for international transfer.
Family faced difficulties to bring body to Brazil
Romildo and Carlha
Reproduction/Social Media
The family learned of Romildo's death unexpectedly. After watching a news report about the earthquake, relatives tried to contact the couple on Thursday (25). Hours later, Carlha managed to communicate and confirmed the pastor's death.
Since then, the relatives began to face difficulties in bringing the body to Brazil.
➡ On Wednesday night (24), two earthquakes in sequence hit the northern region of the country, where Caracas is located. In addition to the deaths, the tremors collapsed buildings and left a trail of destruction in the Venezuelan capital and surrounding areas. The earthquakes were the strongest in the country in more than 100 years.
The Venezuelan government updated the number of deaths on Monday (29) to 1,719, in addition to 5,034 injured and around 50,000 missing.
The Brazilian government, in turn, confirmed the death of two Brazilians, without disclosing their identities, and reported that it was providing consular assistance to the families.
Romildo had turned 69 on the 21st
Reproduction/Social Networks
Pastor visited his wife's family in Caracas
Four days before the tragedy, Romildo had celebrated his 69th birthday alongside his wife, during the trip to Caracas to visit her family.
Natural from Chapada de Minas (MG), Romildo built his life in Uberlândia, where he lived for more than ten years. Evangelical pastor, although he was not currently working, he was remembered by his family as a man of faith, affectionate and passionate about traveling.
"My uncle was a very good person, a radiant person, who loved traveling and enjoying life. It's very sad to see people like that lose their lives in this way, especially with such a degree of neglect", lamented Jhulya.
Understand earthquake in Venezuela
Arte/g1
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Source: G1