PL councilor says that ‘black woman’ inappropriately spent Covid-19 money; see video

Councilor Francisco Vilela (PL), from the municipality of Canguçu, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, stated that the emergency resources for the covid-19 pandemic were spent by a “black woman” in Brazilian states. The statement was made at a City Council session held this Monday, 22nd. At the meeting, the parliamentarian also praised former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) for tackling the disease in the country.

“The drip-drip payment didn’t come. That money from Covid, that ‘black’ from the States, went down and rolled. Applause for Bolsonaro, applause for those who sent the money and which, often, was not even spent properly. But everything was worth it during the pandemic. He could do whatever he wanted because it was an extraordinary situation,” said the councilor.

To Estadão, Francisco Vilela denied having said a racist phrase and stated that he has parliamentary immunity when giving speeches in the Chamber. According to the PL councilor, the accusations of racism are the result of “persecution” that he suffers in the local Legislature.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, I was in the Chamber and gave my opinion, that’s all. They’re making me look like a fool in this story, I’m calm that nothing will happen. I’m 67 years old, I’ve never spoken against any person of color. My best friends were black people, at school, in football”, said the councilor.

Francisco Vilela, known as Xico Vilela, is in his first term as councilor in the city. In the 2020 elections, he ran for office for the PP and was elected with 512 votes (1.59% of the votes), being the second least voted for a seat in the House.

Watch the video below

In a note published on social media this Wednesday, the 24th, the Quilombola and Black Movement of Canguçu defended punishment for the councilor. “It is unacceptable for an authority occupying a seat in the Legislative Branch to break parliamentary decorum and offend the black community. Racism operates structurally and institutionally and we have a duty to combat it,” he said.

“Quilombola organizations demand that the necessary measures be taken and will be alert to any conduct of racism, prejudice and discrimination. This left us very saddened and indignant, we who contributed so much to the development of this country, which every day kills us with so much racism and discrimination,” he stated.

To Estadão, the Canguçu City Council stated that it does not agree with “racist statements made by any of its members”. The local Legislative Ethics Commission should begin analyzing a possible punishment for Francisco Vilela from Monday, 29th. Possible sanctions include warning, suspension or revocation of mandate.

Councilor has already called the House server a ‘nigga’

This is not the first time that a statement by Vilela will be analyzed by the Ethics Committee of the Canguçu City Council. In June last year, he called a House employee a “neguinha” and a “bitch” during a session.

After the meeting, the employee filed a police report with the Civil Police, who investigated the case and charged the councilor with racial slurs. The Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Sul filed a complaint in July, but the case has not yet been analyzed by the Rio Grande do Sul Court.

The Canguçu Chamber judged the councilman’s impeachment on August 30th of last year. For him to lose his mandate, ten favorable votes were needed, from a total of 15 councilors. Nine voted to condemn the parliamentarian, and he remained in office.