Overview

• During Tuesday's session of Fortaleza's city council, Councilor Professor Aguiar Toba requested a minute of silence believing Raimundo Oliveira Araújo had died.
• Councilor Benigno Júnior interrupted after calling Raimundo by phone, telling the chamber he was well and stopping the tribute.
• Toba retracted his statement on the floor and said he misread a Diário do Nordeste headline about the merchant.
• Video of the exchange was published by Brazilian outlets as relatives expressed regret and criticized the councilor's conduct.
• The 90-year-old, known as Raimundo do Queijo, is an iconic Centro shopkeeper whose establishment, founded in 1978, has been recognized as a Fortaleza tourist heritage site since 2020.