Cármen Lúcia tells Tarcísio to explain the tribute to Erasmo Dias

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), and the president of the State Legislative Assembly (Alesp), André do Prado, have 5 days to provide explanations to the STF on the enactment of a bill that honors the colonel and former state deputy Erasmo Dias. The name of the soldier will baptize an overpass located between km 474 and 475 of the Manílio Gobbi Highway (SP-284), in Paraguaçu Paulista, the colonel’s hometown.

At the time he was Secretary of Security for São Paulo, in 1977, Dias led the invasion of the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-SP) to interrupt a mobilization for the reorganization of the National Union of Students (UNE). With the support of armored vehicles, electric batons and tear gas bombs, the Police arrested almost 900 students.

In a note, the rectory of PUC-SP said it considered the tribute “an insult and disrespect, not only to the institution, but mainly to Brazilian democracy and citizenship”. At the time of the facts, a special commission of inquiry of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo concluded that Secretary Erasmo Dias committed several legal infractions such as abuse of authority and crimes of responsibility, in addition to crimes provided for in the penal code.

The deadline for Governor Tarcísio de Freitas to give explanations was given by the Minister of the STF Cármen Lúcia in response to a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) proposed by PSOL deputies from São Paulo, with the support of the Academic Center and the Faculty of Law of the Pontifical Catholic Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP).

The author of the tribute already expected contrary reactions

The now former deputy Frederico d’Avila (PL), who presented the bill in 2020, said he had not spoken to Tarcísio about the matter because governors do not usually interfere in initiatives of this type coming from Parliament. In June, in an interview with Folha, D’Avila said that he already expected the reaction of sectors more to the left against the homage to the former Secretary of Security.

“They name a terrorist, a president who defected from the country, a foreign dictator [para vias públicas]. There is a famous avenue in São Paulo called Marechal Tito. Ask what Marshal Tito was doing in Yugoslavia. They changed the name of the Costa e Silva highway to João Goulart. It’s what they do. They rewrite history. It’s the famous Stalinist policy,” he stated.

Graduated in History and Law from the University of São Paulo, elected state and federal deputy for two decades in a row, Erasmo Dias died in 2010, aged 85.