Councilman Luiz Vergara (PSB) physically attacked a citizen during a session of the City Council last Tuesday (03/03), in Franca, a mid-size town of São Paulo, Brazil. The politician, who’s now the Mayor’s leader among the councilmen, lost control after hearing criticism from Helio Vissoto, a local cabinetmaker. After trying to respond to what the man said de didn’t refrain himself, left the plenary assembly and walked to the cabinetmaker, slapping him in the face. With the aggression, the citizen’s glasses flew from his face.
The attack occurred after the councilman was criticized for taking the role as the head of the Mayor among his peers in the C ity Council an opposed himself to a bill that was supposed to guarantee access of information about public interest to all population.
Not one of the other councilmen who witnessed the aggression manifested themselves. The Council session was interrupted for five minutes and was after concluded as if “nothing happened.
The aggression was captured by a reporter of GCN, a local media group with newspaper, radio an internet operations, and has shocked the nation. All major media groups reproduced the video during the last days.
The Issue
Franca’s mayor, Mr. Alexandre Ferreira, sent an official letter to the City Council president last Tuesday (03/03), kindly asking him to announce that his new leader in the Legislative Power is the councilman Luiz Carlos Vergara. Just minutes after officially taking over his new role, during a City Council session, Mr. Vergara slapped cabinetmaker Helio Vissoto in the face. The attack was so vicious that the victim’s glasses landed meters away from him. The voter was simply complaining of the councilman incoherent attitude, since Mr. Vergara started his term of office opposing the mayor and now is defending his ideas.
In 2013 this City Council member filed and directed a Special Inquiry Commission (CEI – Brazilian political procedure of the Legislative Power to investigate acts of rulers) to investigate public contracts signed between The City and the bus company responsible for the municipal transport service. At that time Mr. Vergara accused the mayor of giving up on fines assessed against the company for failing to comply with terms of the contract. He was one of the three councilmen who voted for the creation of a Commission of Process that could end up removing the mayor from the Office. Last year he voted for the creation of another CEI against the Office he’s now allied to, only this time to investigate suspicious deaths that occurred in public hospitals managed by The City.
All of a sudden, Vergara’s criticism stopped. The combative posture was forgotten and he became the Mayor’s new spokesperson on the City Council. The news that he would assume the part was noticed by Comércio da Franca the week before the incident, and engaged a tsunami of critical comments, coming even from politicians of the same party as Vergara.
Helio Vissoto, the assaulted citizen, criticized the suddenly changed councilman on social media, and both he and Luiz Vergara got in a discussion on the internet throughout the week. On Tuesday morning, after officially taking over his new position, the councilman took over the tribune, where he defended the mayor and verbally attacked his critics. When his speech was finished he walked to the glass partition between the plenary assembly and the public. There, councilman and voter had a quick argument. Before attacking Vissoto, Vergara threatened: “I’ll hit you in the face, you’ll see.” Right after that he fulfilled his promise, and the violent slap on the face was caught on camera by Comercio da Franca’s photographer Dirceu Garcia.
Helio was left with a mark on his face. He didn’t give the paper an interview, but said he was only questioning the fact that the councilman voted in favor to a veto of the mayor in a law project that would make the City Hall public data more accessible to the public. Mr. Vergara presented a different version of the facts: “He’s been attacking me for over a week. Today he’s come to the glass (partition) and asked how much money I was paid for taking the mayor’s leader role in the City Council. I’m not a thief and I’m not corrupt.”
Because of the incident the session was suspended for five minutes. When it was resumed, some of the other present councilmen spoke and disowned Vergara’s act. “It was shameful and outrageous. We councilmen have to respect the citizens who elected us,“ said Valéria Marson. “We have to apologize to the people. If someone feels offended, he needs to seek justice in a Court of Justice, not though aggression,” said Daniel Radaeli. “I repudiate each and every form of physical aggression. Even if the councilman was provoked, he could have never done such thing,” said Marco Garcia, City Council president.
The City Council Ethics Committee will file an administrative procedure to establish the councilman conduct. The local director of the councilman’s party will call a meeting to decide if measures should be taken. The Mayor’s Communications unit was contacted to respond if the councilman would still be head of the mayor in the City Council and if he agreed with the act perpetrated by his representative, but no one replied.
Helio Vissoto went to the police and took criminal action against the councilman. An investigation has been opened for physical injury. Because it involves a person from the local government, the Main Police Station is in charge of the case.
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