Parties articulate punishment for deputy Nikolas Ferreira – 09/03/2023 – Politics

Despite the articulation of political parties to impeach Bolsonarist deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), who put on a wig and gave a transphobic speech in the plenary of the Chamber, party leaders claim that the loss of mandate is unlikely.

Leaders of centrão and government base parties affirm to the Sheet that Nikolas, the most voted federal deputy of 2022, should receive a warning, censorship or, at most, suspension for the speech that took place on Wednesday (8), International Women’s Day.

Impeachment, they believe, is an exceptional measure that was not even used in cases such as that of former federal deputy Daniel Silveira (PTB-RJ), arrested for attacking ministers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) and disrespecting preventive measures.

Nikolas’ impeachment request was filed at the Chamber’s Ethics Council by PSOL, PSB, PDT and Rede — and should receive support from other parties, such as PT and PC do B. The collegiate, however, has no forecast to be installed.

In previous years, the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), appointed allies to preside over the Ethics Council. For this year, according to leaders, there is still no ongoing negotiation to define the name of who will chair the collegiate.

In the last two years, for example, the collegiate was coordinated by deputies Paulo Azi (União Brasil-BA) and Juscelino Filho (União Brasil-MA) —current government minister Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), on a tightrope for having used FAB (Brazilian Air Force) flights and daily rates paid by the government to attend horse auctions.

In Lira’s first term, the Ethics Council’s performance was criticized for inaction, with representations not analyzed and delay in judging cases considered relevant.

In the case of Nikolas, however, allies of the mayor claim that Lira is interested in moving forward with representation to prevent Bolsonarists from re-protagonizing conflicts, as occurred during the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government.

“I will not tolerate disrespect against anyone. Deputy Nikolas Ferreira deserves my public reprimand for his attitude today. To all and all who felt offended and offended by my solidarity”, wrote Lira on social networks.

Deputy Duda Salabert (PDT-MG) says that Lira’s public demonstration is a sign that Nikolas could be punished. She also assesses that it is possible for Parliament to revoke the deputy’s mandate, but recognizes that it is necessary to make political seams.

Duda says he will meet this Thursday (9) with the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, to ask the government for a position on what happened.

“One of the main flags of the government was the defense of democracy, so we understand that words cannot be left to the wind, they have to materialize in practices. We want the government to take a stand, which is through its networks, but more than that, in the articulation of its base to guarantee a severe punishment to Nikolas Ferreira”, he says.

In 2019, the crimes of transphobia and homophobia were equated to the crime of racism by the STF.

“It is not tolerable, according to the Supreme Court’s own understanding, for a parliamentarian to dress up in a jocular, laughable, caricatured way of a trans person and make fun of us in a House that should be discussing overcoming the Brazilian crisis, which is the greatest in history,” he says. Doubt.

In the transphobic speech on Wednesday, Nikolas said that women have lost ground to “men who feel like women”. “They are wanting to impose an imposition of a reality that is not reality,” he said.

Leader of the PT in the Chamber, Deputy Zeca Dirceu (PR) claims that this type of conduct is “unacceptable” and defends the impeachment of the parliamentarian. “He is a virtual delinquent and wants to bring the model to the plenary”, says Zeca. In the evaluation of the petista, the deputy should be punished “and it will not be a small punishment”.

Leader of Solidarity in the Chamber, Áureo Ribeiro (RJ) agrees that the parliamentarian should be punished, but believes that this will come with a warning.

“First, because of the moment that we live in Brazil, of dialogue, of balance, of respect. He has exceeded himself, he is arriving here at the House now, he has to know the environment he is in, respect the people and the history of many here. You have to receive a warning, I have no doubt about that,” he says.

PL members came out in defense of Nikolas on social media and in the House plenary.

A Sheetdeputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ) says he does not believe in “any punishment” and that the “left wants to divert the focus from the content of speech” by Nikolas.

“I am convinced that President Lira wrote on Twitter without watching Nikolas speak. The speech was in defense of women, especially on the issue of sports, when a transgender male will compete among women. We have never seen a transgender female wanting to compete with men,” he says.

“This opinion is not transphobic, it is a sporting, biological and, for me, logical issue. All women should not feel comfortable in an unequal sporting dispute.”

Under reservation, however, some supporters of Nikolas have criticized his stance, saying that he has gone too far.

This Thursday, the parliamentarian himself went to the networks to defend himself and stated that there is no transphobia in his speech.

“I defended the right of women not to lose their space in sports for trans people —in view of the biological difference—and not to have a man in the women’s bathroom. There is no transphobia in my speech. I clarified the example with a wig (shocking). going beyond that is hysteria and storytelling,” he wrote.

The case should also have repercussions in the Federal Senate. PT leader in the Senate, Fabiano Contarato (PT) said he will ask the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) to file a lawsuit for collective moral damages against the parliamentarian.

“Federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira used International Women’s Day to make a transphobic, prejudiced speech. And I say here that his speech is not restricted to just immature and irresponsible behavior, but, above all, a criminal speech”, said on the Senate floor.

“I want to express this repudiation here, but also appeal for the Ethics Council of the Chamber of Deputies to revoke the mandate of that deputy. I say again: parliamentary immunity cannot be used as a protective shield for the commission of crime”, he completed.

_{collaborated with THAISA OLIVEIRA}