Venice, a newspaper with the anti-Covid superhero Zaia distributed in front of schools. The Democratic Party: “It’s propaganda among children”

VENICE – In the Magical World of Veneto are Governor Luca Zaia, President Roberto Ciambetti and Dr. Francesca Russo. The Magic World of Veneto is a diary for elementary school children, in which we try to explain the difficult battle of the Veneto region against the enemy coronavirus. A symbolic journey through the seven provinces, between princes, fairies and characters from fairy tales. A fantasy world, with pastel colors, where, however, there are only three recognizable characters: Governor Zaia of Veneto, the president of the regional council of Ciambetti and the director of the Department of Prevention of Russo.

Of all the wizards who could populate a fairy tale about Covid-19, however, the most important one is missing: the wizard of tampons. What happens is Andrea Crisanti, director of Microbiology in Padua, for some time in controversy with Governor Zaia who does not recognize the merit of the “Vo ‘model”. Then there is another small detail that escapes in this story of ladies and gentlemen, set between Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Rovigo, Belluno, Venice and Treviso: that in a few days there will be regional elections and neither the knight Lorenzoni nor even the princess Sbrollini or the druid Cappelletti. In short, none of the other eight candidates who have ventured into the difficult challenge to the incumbent governor (for which the latest polls published account for 70% of the votes). On the first day of school, in Venice, in the Giudecca area, the children received this comic as a gift, which is also a diary. Well initially, big smiles, until the script ended up in the hands of a teacher who expressed her outrage. And from that moment the news of the pro-Zaia newspaper spread online with all the indignation of the case.

“I think any comment is useless,” says Alessia Rotta, a Verona MP. “I just wonder one thing: do you want school autonomy to do this nonsense?” Hard also the comment of Emanuele Fiano, of the national secretariat of the Democratic Party: “Advertising with primary school children, on their first day of school. I have no words.” The creator of the project, the Brazilian Gesusleny Gomez, who has lived in Verona for years and has become known for her walks through the squares of Veneto, tries to put a piece of it.

“This newspaper is all made with private money and, above all, it is already in its third edition. What was it supposed to do this year? Don’t you do it because there are regional elections?” So it works more or less like this. Gesusleny, thanks to the company of her Veronese businessman husband, creates this diary with the drawings of the artist Valentino Villanova. It prints about 15,000 copies each year. Construction costs are borne by individuals, so if someone wants to participate in the printing costs. Many municipalities in the Verona area have done so, such as Bardolino, but also entities such as Aci and last year also the province of Padua.

In front of the Giudecca schools, Manuel Bognolo, a Venetian fisherman who was convinced that he was giving a gift to the young students, took care of the distribution. “I think they are all useless polemics,” says the creator.