You've seen a lot of things in elections, but you probably never expected this: an “Italian” was elected mayor of a city in São Paulo!
No, it is not a foreigner trying to make a living in public life in Brazil. In fact, the businessman Marcio Donizete Barbarelli, whose nickname is precisely “Italiano”, won the race for mayor of Cajobi, in the interior of the state of São Paulo. And, believe it or not, it was with this name that he appeared in the electronic ballot boxes: Italian Barbarelli.
It's all in the family — even the nickname
With Italian grandparents, the Italian Barbarelli brought family traditions to politics. He inherited not only their love of good pasta, but also the nickname that followed him to victory.
A businessman in the orange industry and already experienced in politics — he was previously mayor of Cajobi — Italiano (PP) won 53,8% of the votes, beating his opponent Dr. Caio (Republicans), who had 44,71%.
Cajobi: more Italian than it seems
Cajobi, a city of just 9.768 inhabitants, located about 430 kilometers from the capital of São Paulo, is known for its agricultural traditions and, as expected, for the strong presence of Italian immigrants.
Now, in addition to oranges and good pasta, the city once again has an “Italian” officially in charge of the city hall.
