São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republican) on Monday (8) declared no official mourning in the state over the death of singer Rita Lee. The stance is similar to that of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), his political godfather, who ignored episodes of national unrest during his tenure.
According to the press office of the Tarcísio government, the state is already involved in the gesture when the federal government issued a nationwide decree expressing regret over the singer’s death.
However, the São Paulo government has already declared official mourning for the deaths of people who were born or lived in the state, although the federal government also paid tribute.
In December 2016, for example, thenGovernor Geraldo Alckmin declared a threeday official mourning for the death of Cardinal Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo. The then President Michel Temer had also expressed his regret nationwide.
A similar situation occurred after the death of doctor Zilda Arns in January 2010. At that time, thenPresident Lula announced official mourning in the country, as did José Serra in São Paulo state.
The official declaration of mourning is a symbolic act that serves as a tribute. The city of São Paulo, for example, made it a point to also publish its official mourning for the death of Rita Lee, who was born in the capital city of São Paulo and had a great deal of identification with the city and the state.
The current government of São Paulo commemorated the artist, considered the biggest Brazilian rock star, in a sad message published on the government’s official website and on Instagram. Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, however, did not comment on the subject in his social networks. Two days earlier, he lamented the death of cook Palmirinha Onofre in a post on Instagram and beyond Twitter.
Tarcísio backed Bolsonaro in last year’s elections. During his tenure, the former president drew attention to the fact that he had not ordered mourning on the occasion of the deaths of influential Brazilian figures from various sectors, such as Elza Soares, Marília Mendonça and João Gilberto.
with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS It is MANOELLA SMITH