Marches organized on the beach with activists accompanied by their dogs, rescues of abused animals broadcast live on social networks and adoption fairs: this is how Marcelo Queiroz, 40, federal representative of the right-wing Progressives party, led his campaign. municipal elections in Rio de Janeiro on October 6. “I wanted to make Rio the capital of animals! »declares this lover of four-legged companions, from his office in the center of the wonderful city, three weeks after the first and only round of voting.
The candidate defended in particular the “development of parks and spaces dedicated to leisure” for quadrupeds, free veterinary consultations “high complexity”a program aimed at encouraging families to temporarily take in abandoned animals and increasing environmental police patrols against animal abuse. Marcelo Queiroz also proposed more conventional measures, such as increasing public sector salaries, developing telemedicine, and installing surveillance cameras in all city districts.
But these proposals will ultimately remain a dead letter. Despite the creativity of his campaign, Marcelo Queiroz only obtained 2.5% of the votes. The vote was won in the first round by the outgoing mayor, Eduardo Paes (60.5% of the votes), of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, centre-right), which had formed an alliance with President Lula, followed by Alexandre Ramagem (31 % of votes), from the Liberal Party (extreme right) of Jair Bolsonaro.
“Multispecies families”
This campaign strategy could seem risky for a city where 16.7% of the population earns less than 497 reais (80 euros) per month and where 7.9% of households suffer from food insecurity. Except that almost 70% of Brazilians own at least one animal: during the pandemic, the number of pet owners increased by 30%, according to a 2021 Pet Committee study. Among them, a third even consider them members of full right. of the family, being willing to invest in services such as spas, bakeries and even acupuncture therapies adapted to animals, which have multiplied in recent years.
Naturally, the welfare of dogs and cats ended up entering the political scene. In 2022, during the federal legislative elections, seven deputies from different parties were elected under the banner of the defense of companion animals. : in addition to Marcelo Queiroz, Bruno Lima, a police officer also from the Progressives party, Célio Studart (PSD), Fred Costa (Democratic Renovação Party), Matheus Laiola and Felipe Becari from the Unión Brasil party (center right), also like Bruno Ganem from Podemos ( right).
You have 46.21% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
