The tragedy of Santa Maria and the omission of public authorities.

The tragedy at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria (RS) is not simply the work of one idiot. There were many causes that led to the tragedy that claimed the lives of 231 young people. It is not enough to blame the band member who lit the flare on stage, under a highly flammable ceiling. Was he an imbecile? Yes. But he wasn't alone in his mistake.

Why didn't the fire extinguishers work?

Why didn't the fire department inspect it?

Why did the city government grant a license to a nightclub without fire exits?

Why didn't the owners install emergency exits in the establishment?

Why did the mayor of Santa Maria, Cezar Schirmer (PMDB), declare: "Even with the permit valid or not, the tragedy would have occurred anyway"?!?

The tragedy in Santa Maria is linked to so many others where the negligence of public authorities, combined with the greed of certain "businessmen," creates innocent victims.

The dead of Santa Maria cry out for justice, just like the nine residents who died buried in the collapse of Palace II, a building in Barra da Tijuca (RJ), built by Construtora Serzan, owned by the late congressman Sérgio Naya, on February 22, 1998. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the building collapsed because it was constructed with low-quality materials.

The victims of the Kiss nightclub fire were wronged in their good faith, just like the 55 who drowned on December 31, 1988, due to the overcrowding and complete disregard of the owners of the Bateau Mouche IV for the safety of their passengers.

Why didn't the government shut down the Kiss nightclub, given that it didn't comply with any of the safety regulations for a concert venue?

Why did the agencies responsible for oversight allow the Palace II construction to continue?

Who authorized the Bateau Mouche IV to sail on that fateful New Year's Eve of 1989?

There is too much permissiveness in public office. Too much lobbying. It's a secretary who "does a favor" for a nightclub owner and turns a blind eye to safety regulations at the establishment. It's the City Council that expands the occupancy zone and allows construction in inappropriate locations, such as on the slopes of Ilha Grande, in Angra dos Reis, where a landslide claimed victims among guests of the Pousada Sankay and seven other houses, killing at least 19 people on New Year's Eve 2010. It's the mayor who is negligent, who does not assume his responsibilities.

The low value placed on life is the cause of all these tragedies. A total insensitivity towards others, a complete lack of commitment to citizenship, explains why a government invests more in advertising than in the repair of highways.

The dead in Santa Maria (RS), those buried in Angra and Barra da Tijuca (RJ), those killed on potholed and poorly signposted roads are all victims of the negligence of public agents acting in collusion with the greed of private entities.

If society does not express its outrage, other tragedies will occur. Urban expansion areas will continue to be approved in locations unsuitable for construction. Licenses will continue to be issued in locations inappropriate for events. Drivers will continue to die on the roads.

The tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul serves as a warning to mayors, councilors, and governors to think less about favors and political deals, and to dedicate themselves more to preserving the lives that are under their responsibility.

Just as it's easier to blame the pilots who died in air tragedies, it's unacceptable that a single idiot should pay the price alone for a whole chain of omissions by the various agencies responsible for ensuring citizen safety.

Marcus Vinícius is a journalist and economist; he edits the newspaper Jornal Onze de Maio and the website www.marcusvinicius.blog.br.