Carla Zambelli Salgado de Oliveira (born 3 July 1980)[1] is a Brazilian far-right activist and politician. Founder of the movement On the Streets, Zambelli gained notoriety through her activism in favor of the impeachment of the ex-president Dilma Rousseff.[2][3] In the elections of 2018, she was elected federal deputy for São Paulo, by the Social Liberal Party (PSL).[4]

Carla Zambelli
Zambelli in 2022
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Assumed office
February 1, 2019
ConstituencySão Paulo
Chair of the Chamber Environment and Sustainable Development
In office
March 12, 2021 – March 17, 2022
Preceded byRodrigo Agostinho
Succeeded byCovatti Filho
Personal details
Born
Carla Zambelli Salgado

(1980-07-03) 3 July 1980 (age 43)
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
Political partyPL (2022–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Aginaldo de Oliveira
(m. 2020)
Occupation
  • Project manager

Her profile has been described by some as belonging to the liberal right, being economically liberal and socially conservative.[5]

Biography and views edit

Zambelli was born on 3 July 1980 in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.

In 2017 she declared herself a monarchist, after conversations with members of the imperial family.[3] She is against the quota policy, except for people with disabilities.[4]

In the elections of 2018, she was elected federal deputy by the PSL.[6][7] She said that her line of action in the Chamber of Deputies will continue to be the fight against corruption. According to Zambelli, this will be done through three pillars: "less state, more justice and real education."[4]

In April 2022, she stated that she was gathering support for fellow lawmaker Daniel Silveira to be given amnesty.[8]

COVID-19 edit

On May 30, 2020, while on the Brasil Urgente [pt] show, Zambelli stated that empty coffins were being buried in the state of Ceará, supposedly as an attempt to inflate COVID-19 death statistics. The photograph mentioned by Zambelli as evidence was later shown to have been taken in 2017, in the state of São Paulo, and was part of an investigation of a case of life insurance fraud.[9] Zambelli's statement prompted Ceará's government to declare they would take "appropriate judicial measures".[10]

On August 18, 2020, Zambelli's press service announced she had contracted COVID-19, and would begin treatment using hydroxychloroquine.[11] Despite its potential negative health side effects, Zambelli has praised the drug on multiple occasions, and attributed the First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro's recovery of COVID-19 to hydroxychloroquine.[12]

On August 24, 2020, Zambelli was hospitalized for "clinical exams and the investigation of an autoimmune disease".[13] Two days later, on August 26, 2020, Zambelli posted on Twitter that she was "100% cured" due to early treatment using hydroxychloroquine.[14] However, on August 28, 2020, the hospital that had admitted her denied she had contracted COVID-19 in the first place, and stated the following:[15]

After the statement, Zambelli claimed her COVID-19 test was a false positive.[16] Following the controversy and public outcry, Zambelli deleted the tweet where she attributed her recovery to the use of hydroxychloroquine.[14]

In March 2022, Zambelli launched a website to provide resources for those who did not wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, citing an excerpt for Brazil's Civil Code stating that "no one can be compelled to submit, at the risk of life, to medical treatment or surgical intervention. Zambelli was filmed on the eve of the November 2022 presidential elections, in Jardins, a neighborhood in the central area of the capital of São Paulo, entering a bar with a revolver in hand. She was caught on camera wielding a pistol and chasing a journalist, and later fled Brazil to Florida for three weeks.[17] On the day of the approach, Zambelli was not arrested in the act.[18]

Controversies edit

Arrest for defamation of federal deputy edit

In June 2017, Zambelli was accused of defamation, and placed under citizen's arrest by federal deputies Wadih Damous [pt] and Paulo Pimenta, members of the Chamber of Deputies. The accusation came after Zambelli claimed she was "working, unlike them, who were stealing". Pimenta had legislative police escort her to the police station inside the Congress.[19][20] The deputy, however, did not press charges against Zambelli.[21]

Defamation of Jean Wyllys edit

In 2018, Zambelli was condemned over her online accusations of pedophilia against Jean Wyllys, a political opponent.[22] After court battles, she organized a Crowdfund among her supporters, refusing to pay legal damages personally.[23]

Alleged nepotism edit

In September 2019, Veja magazine reported Zambelli used her political influence to have her son get in Colégio Militar de Brasília [pt], without having to go through the selection process. Zambelli claimed she had to request her son be admitted because they had previously received "threats". When questioned, the school responded that the Army's Commander is entitled to evaluate cases "considered to be special".[24]

Threatening man with a gun edit

In October 2022, less than a day before the 2022 elections, Zambelli chased a man down the street who was arguing with her group of friends about politics. She then proceeded to point a pistol at him and shoot into the air, chasing the man down streets and into a bar. She yelled at him to lay on the floor and coerced him into apologizing. She later claimed he had assaulted her, although this claim was disproven after videos of the moment were released. Opposing deputies proposed revoking her mandate as well as charging her with breaking a federal law that prohibits anyone to bear guns within 24 hours of any national election.[25][26]

Electoral history edit

Chamber of Deputies edit

Election
Party Votes % Position in São Paulo State Result
2022 Liberal Party
(PL)
946,244 3.98 No. 2 Elected[27]
2018 Social Liberal Party
(PSL)
76,306 0.36 No. 57 Elected[28]

References edit

  1. ^ "Carla Zambelli 1710 (PSL) Deputada Federal | São Paulo | Eleições 2018".
  2. ^ Nas Ruas, Associação Brasil (2017). "Nas Ruas". Nas Ruas. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Viegas, Nonato (November 16, 2017). "Líder de movimento que pediu impeachment de Dilma agora é monarquista". ÉPOCA. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Carla Zambelli defende combate à corrupção e critica atuação da bancada feminina". Câmara dos Deputados. October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "Partidos conservadores avançam na Câmara - Política".
  6. ^ "Zambelli no PSL – O Antagonista". O Antagonista. March 5, 2018.
  7. ^ "Conheça os deputados e senadores campeões de votos nas eleições de 2018". Correio Braziliense. October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  8. ^ "Brazil: Bolsonarist lawmakers want amnesty for convicted federal deputy". Merco Press. April 22, 2022.
  9. ^ Pennafort, Roberta (April 30, 2020). "É #FAKE que foto mostre caixão enterrado vazio para inflar dados de mortos por coronavírus em Manaus" [It's #FAKE that photo shows empty coffin buried to inflate data of dead by coronavirus in Manaus]. CBN (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  10. ^ "Governo do Ceará vai processar Zambelli por mentiras sobre caixões vazios" [Government of Ceará to sue Zambelli for lies about empty coffins] (in Brazilian Portuguese). May 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "Carla Zambelli testa positivo para COVID-19 e diz que tomará hidroxicloroquina" [Carla Zambelli tests positive for COVID-19 and says she'll take hydroxychloroquine]. Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  12. ^ Zambelli, Carla [@CarlaZambelli38] (August 17, 2020). "Com o uso da hidroxicloroquina, primeira-dama, Michelle está curada!" [Using hydroxychloroquine, first-lady, Michelle is cured!] (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Mendonça, Ana (August 24, 2020). "Com COVID-19, deputada Carla Zambelli é internada em Brasília" [With COVID-19, deputy Carla Zambelli is hospitalized in Brasília]. Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Zambelli apaga post em que se dizia curada da Covid-19 após uso de cloroquina" [Zambelli deletes post in which she declared herself cured from Covid-19 following use of chloroquine]. O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  15. ^ Alves, Pedro (August 28, 2020). "Deputada federal Carla Zambelli não teve Covid-19, diz hospital" [Federal deputy Carla Zambelli didn't have Covid-19, says hospital]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  16. ^ Martins, Humberto (August 28, 2020). "Após dizer que usou cloroquina, Carla Zambelli confirma que não tinha COVID-19" [After saying she took chloroquine, Carla Zambelli confirms she didn't have COVID-19]. Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  17. ^ Nicas, Jack; Spigariol, Andre (January 1, 2023). "Lula Becomes Brazil's President, With Bolsonaro in Florida". New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  18. ^ "Bolsonaro ally tries to circumvent vaccination passports". The Brazilian Report. March 7, 2022.
  19. ^ "Deputado do PT dá voz de prisão a militante do movimento "Nas Ruas"" [Worker's Party deputy places "Nas Ruas" militant under citizen's arrest]. Congresso em Foco [pt] (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 30, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  20. ^ "Petista manda deter ativista na CPI da JBS". O Antagonista (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 30, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  21. ^ Lacsko, Madeleine (December 5, 2017). "Deputado deu voz de prisão, mas não formalizou queixa contra líder do Nas Ruas" [Deputy makes citizen's arrest, chose not to press charges against the leader of Nas Ruas]. Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  22. ^ "As polêmicas de Carla Zambelli: "Jean Wyllys é covarde ou mentiroso"". universa.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  23. ^ "Carla Zambelli do Brasil Nas Ruas faz 'vaquinha online' para indenizar Jean Wyllys em R$ 40 mil". Fausto Macedo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  24. ^ Molica, Fernando (September 3, 2019). "Filho de deputada do PSL obtém vaga em Colégio Militar sem fazer concurso" [PSL deputy's son becomes student at Colégio Militar without going through selection process] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  25. ^ "Deputy from Bolsonaro's party chases man while pointing gun at him". MSN. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  26. ^ "Pro-Bolsonaro congresswoman aims gun at man in street". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  27. ^ "Apuração das Eleições 2022 para presidente, governadores, senadores, deputados federais e estaduais". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  28. ^ "Veja os candidatos a deputado federal eleitos em SP". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). October 8, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

External links edit

Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
Preceded by
Rodrigo Agostinho
Chair of the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee
2021–2022
Succeeded by
Covatti Filho