The Rhino that won an election over humans with a record breaking majority
Picture courtesy Google images
In 1959 in Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, a rhinoceros won the most votes in a local council election and made history.
In Sao Paulo, corruption was rampant at that time. People were unhappy with the accumulating sewage, rising inflation, and shortage of basic food items such as meat and beans. As a protest to this, 200,000 ballots were printed and distributed under the name of Cacareco, a 5-year-old rhinoceros which was brought from the Rio de Janeiro Zoo to the recently inaugurated Sao Paulo Zoo, by a group of young men saying, " better to choose a rhinoceros than an Ass." Even though electoral officials refused to recognize the candidacy of Cacareco, she got more votes than any other candidate.
Cacareco, not only won but also set a record with more than 100,000 votes. In Brazil's history, to that date, it was the highest vote lead for a local Council candidate.
picture courtesy Google images
One of the unsuccessful candidate committed suicide on being defeated by an animal. The success of Cacareco has caused concern in Brazilian intellectual and political circles. It was interpreted that the country was on the verge of revolt. In the week following the election, the election officials revoked the ballot and a new election was conducted after that.
Cacareco, died in 1962. However,"Voto Cacareco," has since become synonymous with protest vote in Brazil.
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