The blogger confronts the governor.

Carlos Tautz

"Revolving machine gun" is the expression that best defines the actions of lawyer Ricardo Gama on his blog, http://ricardo-gama.blogspot.com/. From there, he fires shots at everyone who, in his opinion, harms Rio de Janeiro. From the state governor, Sérgio Cabral (by far his favorite target), to the mayor of the capital, Eduardo Paes (both from the PMDB party), going on to drug traffickers and passing through militias and illegal taxi cooperatives. Nobody escapes his comments, accusations and, very frequently, his profanity.

Ricardo didn't stop, not even after suffering an attack on the morning of Wednesday, March 23rd, near his home in the most bucolic part of Copacabana, the Peixoto neighborhood. People traveling in a silver car fired six shots at him – two hit his head, one his chest, one his arm, and two others grazed him. Now out of danger, he gave an interview to Brasil 247. "I thought it was safe there," he said, based on the fact that his street is well-policed ​​and serves as an informal parking lot for police officers from the 19th Battalion of the Military Police and the Elderly Protection Police Station.

Still quite weak and with impaired vision, Ricardo returned to his blog. As always, on the attack, using videos he produces himself. One of them, in particular, became one of the biggest viral videos on the Brazilian internet last year. During the campaign for state governor, Ricardo caught President Lula and his candidate, Cabral, in a Rio favela, mistreating a boy who approached them to ask for the construction of a tennis court and to complain about the presence of the "Caveirão" at his door – the attack vehicle that the Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) uses to enter conflict zones.

Ricardo does not deny his close ties to politicians from other parties, especially the PR party of state deputy and former governor (RJ) Anthony Garotinho. But he notes: this does not justify the attack he suffered. Read his interview below:

Brasil 247 – Are you sure the attack was politically motivated?

Ricardo Gama – I think so. On my blog, 90% of the topics are political. I believe the attack was political.

247 – But on your blog you also address topics such as drug trafficking, taxi cooperatives, militias...

RG – I've been gathering information on drug trafficking organizations over the last two days (the second interview was on April 6th) and some people told me that the chances of the orders for the attack against me having come from criminal factions were very small. They are very concerned about the pacification (of some favelas), the drug traffickers haven't been using weapons in the alleys, they are very nervous. The drug traffickers are worried about more important things than a simple blogger.

247- Have you ever requested police protection from Governor Sergio Cabral?

RG – I requested it, but I didn't receive it.

247 – Do you feel comfortable leaving the house yet?

RG – I leave looking both ways. A car or a motorcycle stopping next to me... I'm not going to lie: the guy leaves worried...

247 – You also have contact with politicians from various parties. Nelson Peregrino, former candidate for governor of Rio for the PR party, César Maia (DEM), Wagner Montes (state deputy for the PDT party). Has any of them expressed support for you?

RG – Wagner Montes. Of all the television programs, the one that was most polite, highlighted, and treated me with the utmost cordiality was Wagner Montes's. I appreciate the special affection he showed me.

247 – Why are you so opposed to Governor Sergio Cabral?

RG – The governor of Rio de Janeiro is traveling. (Sérgio) Cabral is never in Rio! Vice-Governor Pezão was the vice-governor who governed the most in Brazil! These are official numbers. Veja magazine published an article about it, and I posted it on my blog. And Cabral is still proud of it! Personally, I am not satisfied with Governor Sérgio Cabral. He says that when it comes to investing in the renovation of a school or a community to be pacified, he doesn't prioritize partisan politics, but rather the interests of the population. He still hasn't come to the press to say a word about my case. Just saying a word about my case would mean a complete change in the investigations.

247 – Would this change the course of the case?

RG – Of course! All the governor has to do is go on television and say: we're going to investigate this case. Although, when that video I put on the internet went viral, with Cabral calling that young black man an "idiot," it caused a huge stir. At the time, he said: "Oh, that video is real, it was at an event there (in the favela) Mandela, in Manguinhos, but it was edited and released to the press on the eve of the election by one of my opponents." Doesn't matter! Does that justify getting shot six times in the face?

247 – Do you consider yourself an opponent of Governor Sérgio Cabral?

RG – Absolutely! It's a civic choice, man! How can a governor put his wife to work as a lawyer for the Metro concessionaire? It might be legal, but it's immoral! A governor who puts his wife to work as a lawyer for the Facility Group (the largest supplier of labor to the state government; the group was denounced in January by the state Public Prosecutor's Office for forming a cartel. About 65% of the expenses of Detran-RJ [Rio de Janeiro's traffic department] on services go to Facility)! Today we see the Rio Metro with the most expensive fare in the world (sic) and a service of terrible quality, and Cabral saying he's spending billions and billions on the Metro and Supervia (urban train concessionaire), and the trains are breaking down every day.

247 – Do you think this attack against you might have originated from some faction within the state government?

RG – I can't confirm that. The state government is a very large cell. It's possible that someone dissatisfied with me may have done something without the governor knowing.

247 – A projectile that had been fired at you, and which was inside your body, has disappeared. Do you confirm this information?

RG – The information I received was that the first bullet removed from my head had been lost. I gave this information to R7 (the news portal of Grupo Record), and they said that the second bullet removed from my face had also been lost. But R7 contacted the hospital, which said there was no loss of any kind, but rather a delay in sending the bullet to the Institute of Criminalistics.

247 – Are you thinking of leaving Rio de Janeiro?

RG – I'll keep blogging, with more anger and more determination. This only served to open my eyes wider and make me more attentive.

247 – Aren't you afraid that this might happen again to you or your family?

RG – As for my family, I don't believe it, despite what they say about Rio de Janeiro being dominated by a mafia, which I have no doubt about today. But I don't believe that this mafia would go so far as to attack brothers and wives. Even if they think about doing something against me in the future. But to the point of killing my wife and children, I don't believe it. Imagine if something happens a third time? That will fall on Cabral's account.

247 – For the third time? Have you been the victim of another attack?

RG – No, no. If it happens again, it will be the governor's responsibility, and the governor won't let that happen.

247 – Do you have any police protection?

RG – God, God.