Cabo Daciolo | |
|---|---|
_e_Marcos_Reategui_(PSC-AP)_participam_do_programa_Brasil_em_Debate_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Member of theChamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 February 2015 – 1 February 2019 | |
| Constituency | Rio de Janeiro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Benevenuto Daciolo Fonseca dos Santos (1976-03-30)30 March 1976 (age 49) Florianópolis,Santa Catarina, Brazil |
| Party | Republicans (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Spouse | Cristiane Daciolo (died 2023) |
| Residence(s) | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Profession | Military firefighter |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Rio de Janeiro |
| Branch/service |  Military Firefighters Corps |
| Rank |  3rd Sergeant |
Benevenuto Daciolo Fonseca dos Santos (born 30 March 1976),[1] known asCabo Daciolo (Corporal Daciolo in English), is a Brazilianmilitary firefighter, pastor and politician affiliated toRepublicans.[2] In 2014, he was elected federal deputy. He was expelled from theSocialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) in 2015[3] and later affiliated to theLabour Party of Brazil (later Avante),Patriota,Podemos (PODE),Liberal Party and theBrazilian Woman's Party (PMB).[4][5]
Daciolo gained notoriety in 2011, when he was one of the leaders of the firefighters' strike in Rio de Janeiro. The strikes occupied the headquarters of the corporation and camped in the staircases of theLegislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (ALERJ). Daciolo was arrested and detained for nine days in the Gericinó Penitentiary Complex.[6][7] He became nationally known for being candidate on the2018 Brazilian general election. With 1,348,323 votes (1.26% of the valid votes), he placed 6th.[8] Besides being widely known asCorporalDaciolo, in 2014 he was promoted by Rio de Janeiro Military Firefighters Corps to the rank of 3rd Sergeant, retiring at the end of the year.[9]
Benevenuto Daciolo was born in Florianópolis and was married to journalist Cristiane Daciolo, deceased on 29 August 2023 due to complications of a leukemia diagnosed in 2018, whom they had 3 children.[10] Graduated in tourism,[11][12] Daciolo became known in 2011, when he was one of the leaders of the firefighters' strike in Rio de Janeiro. In the occasion, the strikers occupied the staircase of theLegislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro. Daciolo was arrested for 9 days at the Bangu I penitentiary.[13] Daciolo attendedBola de Neve Church and later became member of theAssembly of God Evangelical Church.[14]
Member of the Socialism and Liberty Party, he was elected federal representative for Rio de Janeiro at the2014 state elections.[15] In March 2015, Daciolo got into a controversy with his party after supporting the release of 12 police officers accused of participation in the torture and murder of bricklayerAmarildo Dias de Souza in 2013.[16] In May of the same year, PSOL national directory voted, 53 to 1, to expel Daciolo from the party after he proposed a constitutional amendment to change the first paragraph of theConstitution of Brazil from "all the power comes from the people" to "all the power comes from God", which, according to the party, harms thesecular state. In the same meeting, PSOL also voted, 31 to 24, to not recall his term to theSuperior Electoral Court.[16]
During the voring of theimpeachment of Dilma Rousseff, Daciolo not only supported the removal of the president, but also of the vice president,Michel Temer, criticized the President of the Chamber,Eduardo Cunha,Rede Globo, and his state's governor and vice governorLuiz Fernando Pezão andFrancisco Dornelles, respectively.[17]
In December 2017, Daciolo was acquitted by theSupreme Federal Court based on a bill proposed by him when he was already the subject of a lawsuit. Daciolo was a defendant in a criminal lawsuit for criminal association (Article 288 of thePenal Code of Brazil) and for many articles of theNational Security Law, but he was benefited by a bill proposed by himself which gave amnesty to military firefighters and police officers from many states who participated in strikes from 2011 to 2015.[18] On 28 March 2018, he was launched byPatriota as candidate forPresident of Brazil.[19][20]
In July 2018, in a session of theChamber of Deputies, Daciolo "profetized" the cure of a fellow lawmaker,Mara Gabrilli, who is disabled.[21] Daciolo spent most part of his electoral campaign at Monte das Oliveiras, a mount in the neighbourhood ofCampo Grande, Rio de Janeiro.[22]
For the 2022 presidential elections, Daciolo endorsedCiro Gomes and almost got affiliated to theDemocratic Labour Party (PDT).[23] On 15 March 2022, he announced his pre-candidacy for governor of Rio de Janeiro for theRepublican Party of the Social Order (PROS),[24] but later the party's national executive rejected his candidacy.[25][26] On 2 April 2022, he joined PDT to run for senator.[27][28]
In the 2018 presidential election, Daciolo was a candidate for Patriota party, finishing as the 6th most voted candidate with 1,348,323 votes, ahead of candidates such asHenrique Meirelles andMarina Silva. As the final results were released, Daciolo contested the numbers, criticizing the voting byDRE voting machines. In a suit filed to the Superior Electoral Court, he called for annulment of the voting, alleging fraud. The court stated that his suspicion was unfounded and that there were no confirmation of any fraud related to electronic voting machines, which were initially used in 1996.[29]
During the campaign, he made controversial and irreverent statements, such as the "prophecy" that he would be elected president:[30]
...I'm prophesying for the Brazilian nation, I will be the next President of the Republic, for the honor and glory of Lord Jesus, in the first round with 51% of the votes...
His statements made him a meme in the internet and a popular figure at the time,[31][32] due to his statements remarked by religious citations and that mixmessianism,theocracy,Christian fundamentalism andconspiracy theories.[33] His way to speak made him very known by the Brazilian people in general and especially the Evangelical ones, who voted or supported him.[34]
During a debate with other candidates, promoted byRede Bandeirantes, Daciolo affirmed that the PDT candidate,Ciro Gomes, was one of the founders ofSão Paulo Forum and questioned him about his participation in the creation of a supposed Union of Socialist Republics of Latin America, theURSAL. Gomes, on the other hand, answered he's not the founder of the Founder and he didn't know anything about the hypothetical Union, causing laughter in the audience. The fact led to a bunch of memes on the following day, which treated the subject with humor.[35]
| Election year | Candidate | No. of overall votes | % of overall vote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Cabo Daciolo | 1.348.323 | 1,26 | 6th |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New political party | PATRI nominee forPresident of Brazil 2018 | Most recent |