Brazil Senate inaugurates memorial in honor of COVID-19 victims

The Brazilian Senate on Wednesday (Feb 16) inaugurated a memorial in honor of the victims of COVID-19 in the country. Signed by architects Vanessa Novais Bhering and André Luiz de Souza Castro, the space was designed to serve as a place of shelter and thought. The piece is made up of 27 prisms representing the Brazilian states. The inauguration ceremony also included addresses delivered in remembrance of the senators killed by the disease during the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 638 people all across Brazil.

Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco described the memorial as a space of solidarity with the families and friends who lost dear ones. “Each one of these victims left a mark on their families, friends, and the place where they lived. Each had their story, their culture, their expectations, and perspectives in their lives—which were sadly cut short by this pandemic,” he declared.

“Some deaths caused commotion countrywide, others brought profound grief to close people. The memorial of the victims of COVID-19 in Brazil represents a symbolic act of solidarity with the victims’ families, scattered as they are across the 27 states of the federation. These are families whose stories were all too early deprived of important characters,” the senator said.

The creation of the memorial was approved by senators in October. The bill was penned by Senator Renan Calheiros and had Omar Aziz as rapporteur. Both chaired the investigative committee on the government’s treatment of the pandemic.

The goal of the project, Aziz stated, is to offer a historical record of what has taken place in Brazil since the pandemic started, in March 2020.

“We’re inaugurating the first memorial known of in this country dedicated to the victims of the pandemic. It’s a memorial not just for the over 638 thousand fellow Brazilians who passed away. The memory of three colleagues who left us is also cherished here: Senator [José] Maranhão, Senator Arolde de Oliveira, and dear Senator Major Olímpio,” Randolfe said, while also demanding action from the Office of Brazil’s Prosecutor-General, which received the committee’s final report in October last year.

After the speeches, the senators strolled around the memorial area, located at the Annex 2 of the Senate building. Originally, the idea was to build a water tank outside. Since the area is listed as historical heritage, the project was brought inside Congress premises.