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Brazil military bought penis implants, Viagra, says lawmaker

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This file photo taken on July 5, 2000 shows a Chinese doctor holding the anti-impotence drug Viagra at a hospital in Shanghai. Liu Jin, AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/03/26/viagra-afp-032618.jpg"/><figcaption>This file photo taken on July 5, 2000 shows a Chinese doctor holding the anti-impotence drug Viagra at a hospital in Shanghai. <em>Liu Jin, AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BRASILIA, Brazil - After revelations that the Brazilian military had bought Viagra pills for its troops, a lawmaker claimed Tuesday it had also acquired 60 penile implants -- for reasons that were not divulged.</p><p>Congressman Eliaz Vaz, who also exposed the Viagra spending, said the defense ministry had &quot;approved the purchase of 60 penile prostheses.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/26/18/viagra-turns-20-chronicle-of-a-global-success">Viagra turns 20: Chronicle of a global success</a></li></ul><p>The ministry did not respond to an AFP request for comment.</p><p>&quot;The question we ask is: why is the (President Jair) Bolsonaro government spending public money to pay for these prostheses?&quot; Vaz said in a note sent to AFP.</p><p>&quot;The Brazilian people struggle to get medicines... and yet a group (of people) is treated with expensive prostheses.&quot;</p><p>Vaz said the ministry had bought 60 &quot;inflatable silicone penile&quot; implants at a cost of between 50,000 and 60,000 reais (about $10,600 to $12,800) each, for three different military hospitals.</p><p>The total cost was more than $700,000.</p><p>He said he had obtained the information via government&#x27;s so-called &quot;transparency portal,&quot; which allows access to details on public spending.</p><p>The congressman said he would report the matter to federal prosecutors for investigation.</p><p>On Monday, the military came in for stiff scrutiny after Vaz revealed a purchase of 35,000 units of &quot;the little blue pill&quot; -- another name for Viagra, eliciting a flurry of jokes on social media.</p><p>The order was for sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra.</p><p>The defense ministry replied the pills were &quot;to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension,&quot; or a type of high blood pressure.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/01/18/20-years-after-viagra-pfizer-seeks-another-miracle-drug">20 years after Viagra, Pfizer seeks another miracle drug</a></li></ul><p>Th explanation did little to stem social media users&#x27; mirth.</p><p>&quot;This explains why the military&#x27;s support for Bolsonaro just rises and rises,&quot; quipped one, playing on the far-right president&#x27;s tight relationship with the armed forces.</p><p>&quot;Some say these pills are to help the armed forces f*** democracy even harder,&quot; wrote satirical news site Sensacionalista.</p><p>msi/mls/mlr/jh</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I4rg6R3beoA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

After revelations that the Brazilian military had bought Viagra pills for its troops, a lawmaker claimed it had also acquired 60 penile implants.