Resumo
On April 1, 2014, the bust of Rubens Paiva was inaugurated in the Hall of the Brazilian National Congress, the same parliament that was shut down by the military coup five decades earlier.
During the dictatorship of 1964 to 1985, many federal members like Paiva were arrested, tortured, and even assassinated by the militaries. However, Paiva remains the only current or former member of that Congress with a “missing person” status.
The tribute to Paiva’s memory was attended by the President of Congress, federal representatives from a broad political spectrum, Paiva’s family, friends, and civil society organizations. The bust is a landmark for Brazil’s history and has a deep meaning to the Paiva family. In the absence of a proper grave, it became their spot to pay respects to Rubens Paiva’s life.
As the ceremony was taking place, a tall man made his way among the crowd, pushing Paiva’s family members and committing the most outrageous of gestures: spitting on Paiva’s bust. Surrounded by two strong bodyguards, Jair Bolsonaro, then federal backbencher who a few years later would become the country’s worst elected president, tried to further disturb the tribute before leaving for his office.
