Brazilian Evangelical Caucus Condemns Venezuelan Dictator for “Homophobia”
By Julio Severo
Rep. João Campos (PSDB-GO), who heads the Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus in the Brazilian Congress, introduced a proposition against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
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| Nicolás Maduro |
The proposition, which condemns the dictator for “homophobia,” was passed unanimously March 4 in the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Brazilian House of Representatives, where Pentecostal minister Marco Feliciano is the president.
As reported by GospelPrime, Campos’ proposition came in answer to the recent demonstrations against the permanence of Feliciano in the HRC presidency. The demonstrations have been provoked by the ruling Workers’ Party and other socialist parties that are favorable to the Maduro dictatorship.
“I think that this committee has the duty of manifesting its view by rejecting this prejudiced and bigoted behavior,” João Campos said.
The proposition condemns declarations by Maduro which, if made by Feliciano or Pentecostal televangelist Silas Malafaia, would have been unceremoniously condemned by the Workers’ Party and by the mainstream liberal media as blatantly “homophobic.”
Opportunistic Communist “Homophobia”
In a speech against candidate Henrique Capriles, the dictator hinted that his political opponent in the elections for the Venezuelan presidency was a homosexual. Last March 12, Maduro said in Caracas: “Yes, I do have a woman, did you listen? I like women.” Next, Maduro kissed his wife. The intention was clearly to indispose the opponent with the more conservative feelings of the voters.
Capriles, 40, is single. At that time, he responded, “I want to send a message rejecting the homophobic declarations of Maduro. It is not the first time. I believe in a society without exclusion, in which nobody is excluded by his views, his beliefs, his sexual orientation.”
The Workers’ Party and its allies did nothing to condemn the “homophobia” of Maduro. The Dilma Rousseff administration didn’t send any protest memo to the Venezuelan government.
The situation of Capriles is very similar to what Gilberto Kassab suffered in the mayorship election of São Paulo in 2008. His political opponent was Marta Suplicy, a Workers’ Party member, whose electoral TV show asked: “Is Kassab married? Does he have children?” The man responsible for the question—aimed at neutralizing the chances of candidate Kassab—was Workers’ Party political advisor João Santana.
According to Reinaldo Azevedo (columnist of Veja, the Brazilian counterpart of Time magazine), Santana is now an advisor for Maduro in Venezuela.
Woe to Marco Feliciano, Silas Malafaia or Yours Truly if any of us say that a candidate is disqualified on the basis of sodomy.
But Nicolás Maduro and Marta Suplicy, with Santana’s assistance, get away with attacking their political opponents with insinuations of homosexuality. Of course, they wouldn’t think of confronting gay activists’ demonstrations disturbing their meetings and accusing them of “homophobic,” “fundamentalist,” “bigoted,” etc.
The Workers’ Party friends have carte blanche to trample homosexuals who get in their way. But if a Christian opens his mouth to say that in the Bible God condemns homosexuality, they crush him.
The gay movement, behaving like a group of dim witted sheep, only bleats angrily at the victims pointed out by the Workers’ Party. No bleating at the Venezuelan dictator. No bleating at Suplicy.
The only public figure in Brazil denounced Suplicy for her inconsistences and opportunism was the late Clodovil Hernandes, the most visible homosexual in the country. But he was hated by the Workers’ Party and by the dim witted sheep, because he openly opposed hate crimes bills and gay “marriage.”
Good Intentions of the Evangelical Caucus Backfire
The intention behind the proposition of the Evangelical Caucus is to instigate the Brazilian Congress to counter the inconsistency of the Workers’ Party and other socialists, who condemn Pentecostal ministers like Feliciano for any view opposing to homosexuality, but they turn a blind eye to socialists’ attitudes that sully sacred homosexuality.
The intention is good and merits congratulations. But the implementation of it may backfire, because if Maduro can be condemned for “homophobia” for expressing rejection (or for outwitting) of the political opponent’s homosexuality, who can protect the Evangelical Caucus from propositions that likewise condemn what the Workers’ Party and other socialists see as “homophobia” in Marco Feliciano, Silas Malafaia and Julio Severo?
The Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus (EPC) proposition against Maduro can legitimate similar propositions against everyone in the front lines of the fight against gay agenda tyranny.
The ideal field for the EPC to show this Workers’ Party inconsistency—condemnation of Feliciano, but cover for dictator Maduro, is a denunciation from the floor of the Congress.
Showing solidarity to the communist tyranny or its victims?
Does Maduro deserve a negative proposition coming from the Brazilian Congress? Of course he does! A proposition condemning the Venezuelan dictator for his connections with the murderous communist government in Cuba and his tyrannical control over Venezuela would be most welcome.
Years ago, Brazilian Protestant leader Ariovaldo Ramos traveled in an entourage of allies of the socialist Brazilian president Lula to show solidarity to dictator Hugo Chávez. After the death of Chávez, Ramos thanked God “for the privilege of having lived together with this personality of my generation.”
Ramos, a former World Vision president in Brazil, also said: “The best thing one can say of a man is that, because he passed through here, the world is a better place! One can say this of Hugo Chávez!”
That is the same Ramos who represents the Brazilian evangelical left very well and who signed a public manifesto against Feliciano. With Gilberto Carvalho, a Workers’ Party strong man, he also recently formed a partnership with the Workers’ Party government on behalf of the evangelical population.
In Ramos, the people of Venezuela saw an evangelical leader who represented Brazilian evangelicals in the support of the communist tyranny that took hold in Venezuela.
Up to now the Venezuelan people have seen no sign from Brazil that Brazilian evangelical leaders disagree with Ramos and his deplorable support of the Venezuelan tyranny. No Brazilian evangelical representative traveled to the oppressed Venezuelan nation to show solidarity to the victims of communism.
I look forward for the Evangelical Parliamentary Caucus, represented by its president Rep. João Campos, to launch a much needed, long-awaited campaign against this tyranny.
And I look forward for the Human Rights Committee under the presidency of Feliciano to do what it has never done when it was under the control of the Workers’ Party and accomplices: to condemn the systematic violations of human rights of Christians in Cuba, Iran and other nations ruled by tyrants friends of the Workers’ Party.
With information of Reinaldo Azevedo, UOL Notícias and GospelPrime.
Portuguese version of this article: Bancada evangélica condena ditador da Venezuela por “homofobia”
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Julio Severo 