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A controversial motion suggesting that homeless people should be sterilised was approved by the city council of Curitiba in Brazil.
Councillor Eder Borges of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party introduced the motion, arguing it would address issues related to homelessness and substance abuse.
However critics have labelled the proposal as “eugenicist” and “Nazi”.
Borges’s motion, released on 1 October, calls for the implementation of contraceptive methods including tubal ligation and vasectomy for homeless individuals who refuse detoxification treatment.
The council approved the motion on 8 October, forwarding it to the city government, though the administration is not obligated to act on the recommendation.
Proposal sparks outrage and condemnation
The motion has sparked a widespread backlash.
Father Julio Lancellotti, a prominent human rights advocate and vicar for the homeless in the Archdiocese of São Paulo, denounced the proposal on social media, criticising it as dehumanising.
Lancellotti, known for his advocacy for the poor, has called the suggestion a violation of basic human rights.
“We have heard of sporadic cases over the years of women who were sterilised against their will. But that’s the first time a suggestion of such a nature has become public” said Ivone Perassa, coordinator of the Bishops Conference’s Homeless Pastoral Ministry.
She noted that the motion reinforces harmful stereotypes, referencing 19th-century ideologies that portrayed the poor as “dirty” and a source of disease.
Borges defends motion amid criticism
In a video statement, Borges defended his proposal claiming it aims to prevent the birth of children into difficult conditions.
He also attacked Lancellotti, accusing him of being a “communist” and insinuating inappropriate conduct.
“That kind of idea is populist. He’s trying to draw support from part of society, as if that suggestion could solve the serious challenges the city is facing” said Perassa, criticising Borges’s proposal as a simplistic solution to complex problems.
Concerns over human rights and ethical implications
Human rights advocates have raised serious concerns over the motion’s implications.
Kelly Melatti, president of the Federal Council of Social Service, expressed alarm at the precedent it could set.
She noted that cases of forced sterilisation have occurred, both legally and illegally, but said Borges’s motion represents a disturbing shift.
“The State doesn’t offer any real alternative for the serious problems regarding inequality and extreme poverty. And some people think the solution is to dehumanise homeless people, especially women” Melatti said.
She added that such initiatives are rooted in racism and misogyny, attempting to provide “easy, moralistic answers to grave problems”.
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