Zema on homeless people: ‘Creating true human pigsties’

Governor Romeu Zema (Novo) made another controversial statement about homeless people during an interview on the Roda Viva program on Monday night. In an interview with the BBC earlier in the month, the governor compared the homeless to abandoned cars that need to be towed away. When asked about the statement, Zema responded by saying: ‘We are creating true human pigsties in Brazilian cities.’ Zema even downplayed his previous statement by stating that ‘you don’t tow away people,’ but he continued to advocate for the removal of the homeless from the streets. The topic extended to the next question, leading the governor to make another controversial statement.

‘These human rights activists, who claim to be protectors of these people [in homelessness], should put a sign on their door saying: ‘homeless, camp here at my door,” said the governor. Zema then added that homeless people ‘only cause trouble.’ Finally, Zema blamed the federal government for the increase in the homeless population, stating that the government turned a blind eye to the problem. He felt there needed to be a ‘central solution,’ although he did not provide any hints as to what that solution might be.

Pre-candidate for presidency
This marks Romeu Zema’s first appearance on the Roda Viva program since announcing his pre-candidacy for the 2026 presidential race. The governor of Minas Gerais is beginning to intensify his national agenda by granting interviews to various media outlets and seeking to connect with the business community. His challenge is to nationalize his name, which is relatively unknown outside the boundaries of his state. Zema aims to establish himself as an alternative to the ineligible former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Competing with him from the right and far-right are the governors of São Paulo (Tarcísio de Freitas), Goiás (Ronaldo Caiado), Paraná (Ratinho Júnior), the federal congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL).

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The journalists participating in the program include the State of Minas columnist Bertha Maakaroun, Estadão’s Political Coordinator Ricardo Corrêa, Valor Econômico’s reporter Cibelle Bouças, Folha de S.Paulo’s Panel editor Fábio Zanini, and CNN Brasil’s political analyst Edilene Lopes.