Last Monday (28), Band's "CQC" program aired an interview with federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro (PP-RJ), where he distilled racist, homophobic and xenophobic comments. The parliamentarian's obscurantist stance was already known by human rights activist groups, but this time, his opinions gained national prominence.
Used to making statements left and right and not being punished for it, the deputy now runs the risk of being impeached by the Chamber. His statements caused outrage not only among the political class, but also among artists, who expressed solidarity with the singer Preta Gil. On the same program, the singer was called "promiscuous" by Bolsonaro, who commented that his son was not "at risk" of dating a black woman.
In addition to the racist statement, there were also statements where he defended torture as a way of bringing his son into line, saying that "badly educated kids are the ones who become gay". So much nonsense led a group of 19 deputies to start a movement to punish the parliamentarian – some of them talk about revoking his mandate, but many people doubt that this will actually happen. There is also a public petition calling for the parliamentarian to be impeached.
The person leading the fight for impeachment is deputy Manuela D'Ávila (PCdoB-RS), who chairs the Chamber's Human Rights Commission. D'Ávila declared that she will present, this Wednesday (30), a motion to repudiate the deputy and will also forward a complaint to the Public Ministry and the Attorney General's Office for committing a racist crime.
Faced with such facts, Bolsonaro is already showing signs of retreat and declared that he will go to the Ethics Council on his own to explain his statements. Typical of someone who is at fault in the registry office. But the deputy's attitude didn't convince anyone. In addition to the Parliamentary Front that will work for his impeachment, the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) also released a statement repudiating Bolsonaro's statements. According to the president of OAB-RJ, Wadih Damous, the deputy's opinions are not in line with the Brazilian Parliament.
The OAB has already declared that it will send a representation to the Internal Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies for breach of parliamentary decorum. And where will all these actions end? Will we have a deputy impeached for crimes of racism and homophobia? If the Chamber does so, it will assume a progressive stance that has set the tone for the Federal Government and countless mandates in Congress. Now, if we don't impeach him, he will assume his racist, homophobic and regressive character.
The Bolsonaro case also reveals the urgency of approving PLC 122, which aims to make homophobia a crime throughout Brazil. For now, the deputy can only be charged with the crime of racism. But deputy Manuela D'Ávila has already warned that "the crime of racism is not only against black people, but also against homosexuals". Let's hope that measures are taken and Bolsonaro disappears from the national political scene once and for all.
