Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday fired his human rights minister, Silvio Almeida, following claims that he sexually harassed a number of ladies, together with a cupboard colleague.
The scandal, which brought on outrage in Brazil, is the primary of its form involving a member of Lula’s authorities because the veteran leftist returned to energy final 12 months.
“Given the grave accusations in opposition to minister Silvio Almeida and after summoning him for a dialog… President Lula determined to take away the top of the human rights and citizenship ministry,” the presidency mentioned in an announcement.
“The president considers the potential for the minister remaining in workplace untenable given the character of the allegations,” the assertion added.
In a later assertion Almeida mentioned: “I requested president Lula to dismiss me.”
“It’s going to give me an opportunity to show my innocence and get better from this,” he mentioned.
The Metropoles information website reported on Thursday that ladies’s affiliation Me Too Brasil had acquired complaints in opposition to Almeida from a number of ladies, together with Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco.
Me Too Brasil confirmed the report and mentioned that the ladies in query had “acquired psychological and authorized help.”
The federal police mentioned Friday it could examine the claims and the presidential ethics fee mentioned it too had launched an inquiry.
Almeida, a 48-year-old lawyer and college professor who is taken into account one among Brazil’s main intellectuals, had earlier rejected the allegations as “lies” aimed toward tarnishing the picture of “a black man who occupies a outstanding place in public workplace.”
Franco, 40, can also be black.
Writing on Instagram after Almeida’s dismissal, she mentioned that it was “unacceptable to downplay or diminish acts of violence” and praised Lula’s “forceful motion.”
Welcoming the expressions of solidarity she had acquired, she added: “We all know how a lot ladies and ladies undergo from harassment on a regular basis, at work, in public transport, in faculties and at dwelling.”
– ‘I felt ashamed’ –
On Friday, UOL information website revealed the account of one among Almeida’s accusers, a college professor who mentioned the minister groped her throughout a meal in 2019, in entrance of round 15 folks.
“There have been lots of people, I used to be sporting a skirt and I keep in mind his hand on my non-public elements,” she mentioned, including: “I felt ashamed.”
Earlier than assembly Almeida on Friday Lula issued a stern warning about potential circumstances of sexual harassment in his group.
“What I can say is that whoever practices harassment can’t stay in authorities,” he advised Brazil’s Difusora Goiania radio station, whereas emphasizing Almeida’s proper to the presumption of innocence.
On Thursday, the federal government had acknowledged the “seriousness” of the claims leveled on the minister and vowed that they might be handled “with the rigor and pace that conditions of potential violence in opposition to ladies demand.”
Almedia’s spouse, Edneia Carvalho, with whom he has a one-year-old daughter, described the claims in opposition to the minister as “unfair” and “absurd” on Instagram.
Whereas that is the primary scandal involving alleged sexual misconduct by a member of Lula’s authorities, it isn’t the primary time one among his ministers has been accused of a criminal offense.
In June, the federal police beneficial that Communications Minister Juscelino Filho be indicted with corruption and consorting with criminals.
Filho denied the allegations and up to now has saved his job.
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