Son of journalist killed during Brazilian dictatorship asks for support to oust Marin from CBF

04/02/2013 - 09h20

The son of journalist Vladimir Herzog, killed during the Brazilian dictatorship in 1975, Ivo Herzog, hopes to obtain the support of two new entities in his fight to oust José Maria Marin from the command of the CBF and the 2014 World Cup LOC (Local Organizing Committee).
One of them is very likely to adhere: the National Commission of Truth. The other depends on backstage negotiations: the main teams of Brazil's national soccer championship and the state federations, which comprise the agency's electoral college.

Monday he registered the delivery of a public petition with nearly 55,000 signatures demanding Marin's ousting at the headquarters of the CBF in Rio. The document allegedly contains evidence that connects Marin to the dictatorship, which prevents him from being the head of Brazilian soccer and the 2014 World Cup.

Herzog was accompanied by federal congressmen Romário (PSB-RJ) and Jandira Feghali (PC do B-RJ), presidents respectively of the Sport and Tourism and the Culture commissions in congress.

"We are delivering copies of the petition and Marin's speeches at the time, one against my father and another which praises Sérgio Fleury, to the CBF, the 27 state federations and the 20 teams in Brazil's main soccer championship," said Herzog.

Fleury was an inspector at Dops (Department of Political and Social Order), and was accused of several cases of torture, including that which led to Vladimir Herzog's death. Sixteen days before his death, Vladimir Herzog was criticized by Marin in a speech at São Paulo City Council - Marin was an Arena congressman at the time.

The task of gathering the support of soccer executives can be helped by the constraints caused by Marin's growing political isolation.

Fifa, the world's governing body of soccer, for example, has been working directly with the federal government to deal with World Cup issues.

Herzog's petition has already been informally discussed at the National Commission of Truth. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the coordinator of the group and sub-secretary of Human Rights, has said that he is considering discussing the issue with the electoral college, which would increase the pressure on Marin.

"What is most important is to investigate Marin's direct or indirect participation in such an obscure part of our history. It's good for Brazil to know who is the head of the country's biggest soccer institution," said Romário, who has been trying to establish a Parliamentary Investigation Commission in congress to investigate the CBF.

They criticized the fact that no director came to receive the petition. Herzog believes "it would have been an act of politeness."

The CBF said it will not comment.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO