Rio Mayor Asks to be Fined After Being Caught Littering

03/07/2014 - 07h58

Amid the garbage strike crisis in Rio, which has filled city streets with garbage, Mayor Eduardo Paes (PMDB) ordered Comlurb (the city cleaning company) to fine him after he is seen apparantely throwing food leftovers on the floor in a video.

The images, posted yesterday on a social network, shows Paes eating something at an event in Sepetiba, West of the city, while listening to a speech by Councilman William Coelho (PMDB).

At one point, he throws a piece of what he was eating. Seconds later, he throws another piece in the same direction.

The law enforced in Rio since August establishes a fine for those littering that ranges from R$157 to R$3,000 depending on the liter.

In a statement, the City of Rio reported that the mayor did not recall the "details of the episode" shown in the video and the image "does not show Paes effectively throwing down a piece of fruit."

"But he believes that, as the video suggests, he had thrown the rest of fruit toward a trash can a bit far, or that he was expecting that one of his aides would throw the trash for him at an appropriate place," the statement continues.

In doubt, whether he threw the leftover food on the floor or not, "since he does not remember the incident," according to the statement, Paes determined that Comlurb would issue him a fine.

The statement does not say, however, how much the mayor will be paying for disobeying the law.

Translated by SIMONE PALMA

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