Some good news

This Wednesday during a session at the Camara Municipal, something unexpected happened. The city council voted in favor of a legal investigation - called a CPI - of mega-event related evictions.

Spearheaded by populist council member Eliomar Coelho (PSOL), the CPI (an investigation led by the legislative branch) vote is a critical step in formally calling into question the legality of the removals. 19 city council members - or nearly half those who were present - voted in favor of a CPI of the comunidade evictions. As only 17 votes were necessary to instate the CPI, the two additional "pro" votes demonstrate that there may be significant opposition to the removals within the council.

A [somewhat blurry] photo of us in the Camara Municipal.
Photo credit: Nelma Gusmao

In addition to investigating the legal framework used to justify the evictions and relocations, the CPI will, according to Coelho, examine removals which may violate cultural rights (for example, the destruction of Candomble houses in Vila Harmonia) and environmental protection legislation.

I attended the city council's Wednesday session together with a cohort of other like-minded researchers, as well as community leaders and residents of Vila Autodromo. We were initially told, upon entry, that such a large group of "protesters" would not be permitted to enter the Camara. On pulling out a camera to videotape our denied entry, however (the vote is open to the public as long as proper ID can be produced for each attendee), the guard at the door immediately rethought his decision. We were allowed in, and seated ourselves on the second-floor balcony. Banners in favor of the CPI and against the removals were unfurled, after initially being told they could not be displayed.

One by one, the city council members took to the stand to present their rationale for or against the CPI. Several speeches provoked thunderous applause and cries of approval from the balcony. In particular, Sonia Rabello (PV), Theresa Bergher (PSDB), and Coelho were received extremely positively by the community residents present.

Despite the currents of excitement, hope, and pride which ran through the auditorium after those on the balcony were informed that the council had voted in favor of the CPI, community leaders have some reservations. As Jane Nascimento explained to me when I visited her in Vila Autodromo the day after the vote, many worry that the final few council members who signed the petition may have done so solely for the purpose of securing comunidade votes in future municipal elections. Besides a possible lack of resolve among the final signatories, Nascimento also fears that the corruption endemic among the ranks of the municipal government might preclude a thorough investigation.

Interestingly, Leonel Brizola Neto (PDT), the eponymous grandson of the progressive ex-governor who granted Vila Autodromo its titles, voted against the CPI.

If you want to read more about the investigation (and can read a lick of Portuguese), Coelho lays out his brainchild in detail on his personal website, here.