Brazil: Rio de Janeiro councilor caught sitting on the toilet in the middle of a virtual city council session

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The sequence occurred within the framework of the discussion of the bill that converts the Mirante da Rocinha into the city’s cultural heritage.

The session took place as usual via Zoom and was directed by Republican councilor Pablo Mello. From one moment to the next, all the cameras turned on and that’s when what was classified by the Brazilian press as a “blunder” happened.

The 78-year-old man appeared sitting on the toilet of his home wearing only a blue polo shirt. Mello immediately warned him about what had happened and asked him to turn off his device’s camera. “Councilman César Maia, please turn off the camera,” Mello asked, while trying to contain a laugh.

“Perfect,” replied Maia, who quickly pointed the camera at her face.

The video of the session is not available on the Rio Chamber’s YouTube channel, unlike other similar content. And the Chamber of Deputies has not yet ruled on the episode.

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But the event did not go unnoticed. The video went viral on social networks, where thousands of people commented on the carelessness of the former Rio mayor. As a result, a Maia advisor had to come out to clarify the situation.

According to local media G1, the advisor stated: “The councilor was present in the plenary session, like everyone else, and suddenly felt bad, but he remained in the session. The sudden discomfort ended up damaging his perception in open camera, he just stayed still, attentive to his work.”
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The case recalled what happened in 2020 during a virtual session of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina, when the Kirchnerist deputy Juan Amelio Ameri was seen through his camera making erotic gestures with his then partner, whom he kissed on the breast in full legislative debate.
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César Maia is a Brazilian politician who was mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro in three non-consecutive periods (1993-1997, 2001-2005 and 2005-2009). He was born on June 18, 1945 in that city, where he studied as an economist.

He began his political career during the 1980s and since then he held different positions within the public service.

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Apart from being mayor, he was a councilor and federal deputy.
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​During his mandate, he stood out for carrying out the construction of relevant public infrastructures, such as the Sambadrome, the City of Music and the implementation of the bus rapid transportation system (BRT). Furthermore, he emphasized the revitalization of deteriorated urban areas, encouraging investment in infrastructure such as tourism.