Rodrigo Maroni
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Rodrigo Maroni (born 21 July 1981) is a Brazilian politician, as well as a yoga instructor and animal rights activist. He has spent his political career representing
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
, having served in the state legislature since 2019.


Personal life

Rodrigo Maroni was born on 21 July 1981 in
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
, Brazil. He identifies as a
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and was a yoga instructor prior to entering politics. In 2019 he married public defender Isabel Wexel. Previously he had been in a relationship with journalist and politician
Manuela d'Ávila Manuela Pinto Vieira d'Ávila (born 18 August 1981) is a Brazilian journalist, writer and politician, a member of the Communist Party of Brazil since 2001. She served as a federal deputy for Rio Grande do Sul between 2007 and 2015, being the ...
. Maroni identifies as an animal rights activist, a key theme in his political campaigns. In 2017 Maroni claimed to have been a victim of an assassination attempt. While he was driving to deliver a dog from an animal shelter, a couple on a motorcycle followed him and started shooting at him. After speeding up to avoid them he ultimately crashed his car, and hid behind a group of trees until he was sure the assailants were gone.


Political career

Maroni first entered politics in 1998 when joining the Workers' Party. He remained a party member until 2005. Maroni ran for the municipal council in his home city of
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
in 2012, as a member of the
Communist Party of Brazil The Communist Party of Brazil ( pt-BR, Partido Comunista do Brasil, PCdoB) is a political party in Brazil. The PCdoB officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist theory. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and student m ...
. He won 2,861 votes but was not elected. In January 2015, he was appointed to the municipal council of Porto Alegre to fill the vacancy of fellow Communist Party member
João Derly João Derly de Oliveira Nunes Jr. (born June 2, 1981 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul) is a former male judo player from Brazil, the only Brazilian to ever become a two-time world champion (along with Mayra Aguiar), winning consecutively the ...
, who had been elected as a federal deputy. In March 2016, he joined the
Party of the Republic The Liberal Party ( pt, Partido Liberal, PL) is a conservative and national liberal political party in Brazil. From its foundation in 2006 until 2019, it was called the Party of the Republic ( pt, Partido da República, PR). The party was found ...
with the intention to run for mayor of Porto Alegre. However, in July 2016, federal deputy Giovani Cherini assumed the state party's leadership, removed Maroni from the municipal directory, and forced him to abandon his candidacy for mayor. In reaction, Maroni angrily classified Cherini as "a colonialist and authoritarian". In the 2016 municipal election he was reelected to the position of councilor, coming in as the fourth-place candidate with 11,770 votes. In September 2016, Maroni courted national attention and controversy when he presented a bill proposing life imprisonment to anyone who is found guilty of
cruelty to animals Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suf ...
. He also submitted bills proposing that animal killers and rapists use electronic collars, and that humans who commit sexual violence against animals be forcibly chemically castrated. Maroni's proposals were widely criticized as unrealistic and extreme, with many legal experts noting that life sentences and forced castration were deemed illegal under the
Constitution of Brazil The Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil) is the supreme law of Brazil. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of Brazil and the feder ...
. In May 2017, Maroni announced that he would be running for president in the 2018 election, claiming that "animals can have their first candidate for President of the Republic". However, his campaign for president never formally materialized. In September 2017, Maroni again switched parties to join Podemos. In the 2018 elections, he was elected as a state deputy to the
Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul The Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul ( pt, Assembleia Legislativa do Rio Grande do Sul) is the unicameral legislature of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil. It has 55 state deputies elected by proportional representation. The first legi ...
with 26,449 votes. In September 2019, he was elected to be the regional president of the Podemos party in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In late November 2019 Maroni once again announced his intention to run for mayor of Porto Alegre. However, in March 2020, the national president of Podemos,
Álvaro Dias Alvaro Fernandes Dias (born December 7, 1944) is a Brazilian politician. He has represented Paraná (state), Paraná in the Brazilian Senate, Federal Senate since 1999. Previously, he was the governor of Paraná. He is a member of Podemos (Brazi ...
, removed Maroni from his position as president of the state's party, and replaced him with
Lasier Martins Lasier Costa Martins (born April 14, 1942) is a Brazilian politician and journalist. He has represented Rio Grande do Sul in the Federal Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. ...
. After being deposed as state party's president, Maroni left the party to join the