Alcolumbre (União-AP) lectures senators who have no proposals for the country
On the floor, the Senate president said many were elected by “insulting and attacking people,” without a word on health, universities or democracy. And he mocked the Bolsonarists who contest the voting machine: “in the first round the electronic voting machine was fine.”
Adapted translation of the Portuguese original. Read the original.
CartoonIn Wednesday's session (Nov. 4), Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) stopped the floor to lecture his colleagues. It came after a debate on lowering the age of criminal responsibility, according to Agência Senado, the Senate's news agency. The remarks below were recorded by O Tempo, CNN Brasil, ICL Notícias and Revista Fórum.
“They won the election by insulting”
“Unfortunately many political actors in my country, called Brazil, promoted themselves and won the election by insulting and attacking people.”
Earlier, he complained about colleagues who trade debate for attacks on the Senate presidency:
“Whether from the podium or just in a social media video, to insult the President of the Senate, to perhaps win support for this horrible radicalism that we are living through in Brazil.”
“There was no proposal”
![Quote card: “There was no proposal for a university. […] But insults, attacks and threats came every single day,” Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP)](/arte/alcolumbre-citacao-ofensas-1024.webp)
Alcolumbre listed the homework nobody did during the campaign:
“There was no proposal for a university, no proposal to bring new federal institutes to educate our youth.”
“They did not tell Brazil that they were going to take care of Brazilians’ health.”
“Defend the democratic institutions, they did not present that!”
And he summed up what was left:
“But insults, attacks and threats came every single day.”
He did not name the PL or the Bolsonaro family. According to CNN Brasil, the attacks he received during the campaign had a theme: he does not open impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court justices, a PL banner.
“In the first round the machine was fine”
![Quote card: “In the first round the electronic voting machine was fine. […] It was the very same electronic voting machine!” Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP)](/arte/alcolumbre-citacao-urna-1024.webp)
Then he turned to Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) and Izalci Lucas (PL-DF):
“The worst of all this, Senator Damares Alves, Senator Izalci, is that in the first round the electronic voting machine was fine.”
The irony targets those who began doubting the machine after Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) lost to Lula in the runoff:
“[…] that same electronic voting machine, which is 30 years old, was good enough to elect 120 Federal Deputies from the party of the candidate who lost the election.”
“That same electronic voting machine was good enough to elect twenty-something senators.”
“The result was valid for the first round. […] It was the very same electronic voting machine!”
“A reasonable sense of country”
The close was a plea for peace:
“All of us are obliged to bring the debate back to a reasonable sense of country.”
“I am asking that we use the microphones to think about what we want for the next generations.”
The preacher on the campaign trail
The sermon has a clear audience. The same day, according to O Tempo, Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) launched his bid for Senate president in 2027, against Alcolumbre’s re-election. And, as this publication reported, the same Alcolumbre who now demands proposals and defends democracy had been dangling a pardon for Bolsonaro to pull votes from the right.
Whoever asks colleagues to think about the next generations is also thinking, as is his right, about the next election for the Senate leadership.
Sources
- Davi Alcolumbre lamenta radicalismo e pede foco no país
After the debate on lowering the age of criminal responsibility, Alcolumbre criticized radicalism, defended the electronic voting machine and asked senators to use the microphones to think about the next generations.
Official Senate summary.
- Alcolumbre diz lamentar eleição de quem se promove 'ofendendo e agredindo'
Alcolumbre said the attacks against him during the campaign cited the fact that he does not open impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court justices, and demanded proposals on universities and federal institutes.
- Alcolumbre rebate oposição e ironiza discurso de que urna 'não prestou' no 2º turno das eleições
Excerpts of the speech on proposals and on the voting machine; the same day, Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) launched his bid for Senate president in 2027.
- Alcolumbre critica eleitos pelo PL: 'Sem propostas, ganharam votos atacando pessoas'
Alcolumbre said those elected did not present proposals to defend democracy and addressed Damares Alves and Izalci by name.
The outlet points to Jayme Campos as the trigger for the remarks.
- Alcolumbre ironiza Flávio Bolsonaro: 'No 1º turno a urna prestou!'
Alcolumbre recalled that the same voting machine elected the opposition's senators in the first round.
