After his powers were suspended for Decision by Minister Luis Roberto Barroso, Renato Freitas declares that “truth has been restored”. He said he emerged stronger from a process marked by allegations of racism and political persecution. “If the goal was to silence my voice, the result would be just the opposite. Today, my voice was not only not muffled, but also amplified. People everywhere in Brazil listen to what I say,” he notes.

On Tuesday (27) Freitas gave an interview Brazil de Fact Parana and spoke about the impeachment process, the decision that restored his mandate in the House of Curitiba, his relationship with the Catholic Church and his meeting with Pope Francis in Italy, as well as proposals for his candidacy for the post of Deputy of the State of Parana.

The full interview can be viewed at Brazil’s YouTube channel of Fato Parana. Check out the excerpts below:

Brasil de Fato Paraná – What does this decision of Barroso mean and what do you expect from this moment regarding the Chamber, which has already indicated that it will challenge the decision?

Renato Freitas: The minister’s decision was the decision that restored the truth. I was charged with four. The first two: that I broke into the church and interrupted mass. The church’s own internal diagram indicated that Mass had already ended. Then it fell to the ground. It was construction fake news. In addition to the fact that it was empty, since there was no service, the church was open. And that’s why we feel comfortable at the entrance, as it is the church of Rosario dos Negros, built so that blacks can practice their faith and cry out for freedom and life.

Third: disrespect for the church, the priest. The priest himself said that he was not insulted. Then it fell to the ground. And the speaker Sydney Toaldo, in his opinion, admitted it.

The last is that I have made a political act within the church. See what a common charge. Crying for life – a political act? THIS IS. If this is a political act, then the very foundation of this church, built by black hands to call for life and liberty, was a political act. So there is nothing more just than to honor the memory of our ancestors. There is no repentance, because there was the fulfillment of Christian principles. We brought one crucified to the kiosk to take communion with the one crucified on the cross.

BdF – I would like you to talk about your relationship with the Catholic Church. You have been invited to a meeting with Pope Francis. What were these relationships like?

Father Louis Hass from the church was at the demonstration on that fateful day with a banner to prevent me from being held accountable. At the meeting, which I was deprived of, the priest was sitting in the front row. He gave interviews saying that it was unfair, that it was persecution based on racism.

Bishop Dom Peruzzo of the Archdiocese of Curitiba made a note that there was no reason to cancel my mandate. We believe that the church strengthened us in this process because she was sensitive enough to understand the urgency of our demands and the respect we had for the Christian faith. Christian theology is the theology of the oppressed. The word must speak first of all by example. What is the role of religious institutions in a society where genocide continues?

You talked about my meeting with the Pope… we had the opportunity to talk with the Pope, especially in connection with the rise of fascism all over the world, including in Europe. The day after I left Italy, a far-right candidate was elected. The catastrophes of Europe are always exported to third world countries.

BdF – How do you get out of this process? Do you feel like you have moved from being an activist in Curitiba to being a national leader?

[O processo de cassação] it was an organized attack by political power, public security forces and conservative sections of civil society, of which there are many here in Curitiba. All of them attacked us in an organized manner and presented us in a negative light. This made us vulnerable. At this point, many turned away.

Even, I can’t help but say, the Labor Party itself, in the person of the state president, who made a ridiculous note that I should apologize to the society of Parana, to the church, to the party, and even got the courage – or cowardice – to declare that the PT did not participate in the demonstration . Since the party issued a call for a demonstration, the last candidate for Mayor of Curitiba was with the organization [pelo partido] was in the church, the black sector was inside the church. This attempt to get out of the process and leave me alone, I’m so sorry.

What saved me was the foundation of the party, which I am very proud of, which did not allow me to be sacrificed in the name of low electoral politics, which puts everything on the calculator and in doing so sacrifices the truth. I came out reinforced because the base assessed the top of the pyramid and said “we don’t admit it” and forced the management to reconsider their position.

And after that, the truth came out and in general a lot of people began to support me. If the goal was to silence me, the result was just the opposite. Today, my voice was not only not muffled, but also amplified. People everywhere in Brazil listen to what I say, and as a result, I became an example in the struggle for life, for dignity, for the life of black people. I came out much stronger. Everywhere I find people who welcome my ideas.

BdF – After this process in the House, you run for Parliament from the State of Paraná. What flags do you want to take with you to the Legislative Assembly (Alep)?

The first is related to agrarian reform. I think one of the big problems of Paraná politics is the concentration of power in the hands of the age-old aristocracy. This aristocracy is largely land-based. These are colonels, heirs of the Brazilian process of enslavement, who still exist, such as the Lupión family, the Malucelli family, the Macedo family – the current mayor of Curitiba, Rafael Grec de Macedo. And all these families with large farms concentrate their income. Land reform is becoming increasingly relevant, primarily as part of the political reform process.

Second, urban reform. The city of Curitiba itself is an example of this: hygienic, unequal. You leave the center of Curitiba, rich areas, and goes to Kasimba. You will leave HDI [Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano] from the Nordic countries and sent directly to HDI Sierra Leone, Cambodia. Is this allowed? No way. It is an invisible war, an undeclared war, but a war nonetheless.

Then militarization. Parana’s military police are the fifth most lethal and brutal in Brazil. This is unacceptable in any democracy, in any country where human life is valued. We will fight such policies that are part of the genocide project.

And we will also condemn what was done in the dismantling of education. Unicesumar, a mafia scheme to make money from poor, unstructured and incompetent education. This is the consensus between pupils and teachers, everyone says that this is a failed project, which is supported only by fictitious alliances with the authorities, with Ratinho Jr. [atual governador do estado]. [Além disso] militarization of schools: youth, children need creativity. Militarization kills creativity, reduces human capabilities. Against home schoolingthat is, to give the rich the opportunity to pay private tutors, as was the case in the Middle Ages.

These are some of the struggles that I consider to be structural for fighting this century old elite.

:: Watch full interview ::

Source: BDF Parana

Editing: Leah Bianchini