Where is Amarildo?

In June 2013 the bus ticket in São Paulo increased 20 cents. It seems a little change for middle class, but for a numerous Brazilian is so expensive (monthly transportation expense exceed 20% of minimum wage). There are no options for those who don't have a car, we don't have bicycle lanes and distances are long. The "public" transport is not so good, ordinary is crowed. Even for those who have a car is difficult, cause the traffic is really intense. So add to diverse discontentment in 6 June thousand of people took to the streets in protest. I think we were inspired by Arab Spring too.

 

It's not for cents, is for rights.

A famous and true phrase on that day was "It is not just about 20 cents". So this protest energy spread around the country. All the big and medium city watched the people in the street, in a really heterogeneous, spontaneous and popular movement.

On this time I began to politicize me. In my particular view the dictatorship keep silent about us, I recognize in me and most of my friends a huge empty space in sociology and politic topics, that doesn't exist in most schools. So, this interactions on the street with middle class and social concerns formed a mix stave. And some recurring topics [for who fight in the battle for human rights] started to appear and confuse those who were not familiarized with social problems, who, like me, only clomplain(ed) about corruption.

In July 2013 a question started to be projected "Cadê o Amarildo/Onde está o Amarildo" (Where is Amarildo?). So it impact all media, that can't ignore this question. Even with Pope coming.

 

Pope, where is Amarildo?

Amarildo lived in a Rio favela (slum), on a one-room house with his wife and 6 sons and daughters, he worked as mason assistant. On 14 July when he backs of fishery he was taken by police on "pacification" operation, and never was seen again.

The police that acts in Brazil is the same that do in dictatorship, is violent. Probably in others countries the violent repression and abuse of human rights from police is common too. Here the poor suffer much more, the excuse is drug trafficking, but much activist call this practice of "criminalization of poverty". In Rio's favela this problem is more evident. So, the people who worked on this social problem use the manifestation to drawing attention to this kind of situation.

The brazilian musician don't say/sing about current problems. Presumably exist a censorship of media corporations, which buy the artist images, like Sony and Globo. Elis Regina talk about this on her last interview. Caetano Veloso and Marisa Monte do a beneficent show, all money was given to Amarildo family, and to a ONG that work on missing people from police case. But they didn't talk about the case on the show, or about the actual social situation and world cup, just sang their old songs. There are no famous outspoken opponent of world cup. 

Nevertheless, the comom people [that doesn't have a contract with corporation and can see the injustice] doesn't speak out. So I find this song, of an unknown artist. 

When the Pope came there was much protest. "Beijaço" was a public gay kissed.
(Renan) Calheiros is the President of the Brazilian Senate, accused of corruption.
(Sérgio) Cabral is the governor of Rio de Janeiro, who is taking 'ultra-liberal' measures, like expropriate thousand of persons (using police repression) to favour contractors companies.
"O gato comeu" (The cat have eatn) is a child's play. We say that when something desapear but no one wants to accept responsibility.

Here go the letter:

Onde está o Amarildo?

Habemus hermanos o Papa chegou.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Protestos na rua, beijaços na praça.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Spray de pimenta polícia jogou.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Calheiros, calhordas e outros Cabrais.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo, onde está o Amarildo?

Cadê o docinho que estava aqui?
Onde está o Amarildo?
O gato comeu, o gato comeu.

Onde está o Amarildo?

Atirei o pau no gato mas o gato não morreu, miau. Tem sete vidas.

Sete vidas para gastar toda nossa paciência já não dá mais pra curar toda essa decadência.
Hoje o cidadão que some, amanhã mortos de fome.
Minha barriga tá doendo tio.
Desculpa, mas eu tô no hand-phone.

O príncipe herdeiro nasceu na Europa.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Assaltos, desvios olímpicos, copa.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Disseram a favela se pacificou.

Eu me pergunto onde está o Amarildo?

Mistério novela da vida real.

Cadê? Onde está o Amarildo?

Cadê o docinho que estava aqui? Onde está o Amarildo?
O gato comeu, o gato comeu!
Onde está o Amarildo?
Atirei o pau no gato mas o gato não morreu, miau.
Tem sete vidas. Onde está o Amarildo?...

É irmão são muitas perguntas a serem feitas mas a de hoje é: Onde está o Amarildo?
E se você não se perguntar deixar pra lá amanhã ou depois poderemos ser nós os sumidos, nossos pais, nossos filhos.
Porque o sumiço desse cidadão representa muito mais que o sumiço de um homem.
Representa o sumiço de todos nós da nossa voz, da nossa dignidade humana.
E se você também está cansado desse vandalismo institucionalizado talvez seja a hora de se perguntar:

Onde está o Amarildo?