Brazil's Lula fires human rights minister accused of sexual misconduct

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has fired Human Rights Minister Silvio Almeida following reports he engaged in sexual misconduct, the presidential palace said in a statement Friday evening.

“The president considers keeping the minister in his position to be unsustainable considering the nature of the accusations,” the statement said.

Local media outlets reported Thursday night that MeToo Brasil, an organization that defends women victims of sexual violence, had received complaints of sexual misconduct by Almeida. The organization confirmed that in a subsequent statement. Friday afternoon, a former colleague of Almeida's shared to social media a video of herself detailing what she referred to as “sexual violence” that he inflicted on her in 2019.

Lula previously said on social media Friday that the public prosecutors’ office, comptroller general and the presidency’s ethics commission would investigate, while guaranteeing Almeida's right to a defense.

Almeida said in a statement last night that he repudiates “with absolute vehemence the lies” claimed about his behavior, and denounced a “campaign to tarnish my image as a Black man in a prominent position in government.”

Already the government had called upon him to “provide clarifications” to Comptroller General Vinícius Carvalho and Attorney General Jorge Messias. Lula was set to meet with both Almeida and the minister for racial equality, Anielle Franco, according to the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. Local media have reported that Franco is one of the women who reported Almeida's conduct, although she hasn’t commented.

Brazil’s first lady Rosângela da Silva — known as Janja — is a prominent voice for the defense of women’s rights, and on Thursday posted a picture on her Instagram account of her kissing Franco on the forehead, in a sign of support.

“As often happens in cases of sexual violence involving aggressors in positions of power, these victims faced difficulties in obtaining institutional support to validate their complaints,” MeToo Brasil said in a statement Thursday. “As a result, they allowed the case to be confirmed to the press.”

Friday afternoon, Isabel Rodrigues, a professor and a city council candidate in a municipality of Sao Paulo state, posted a video Friday on Instagram with the aim of adding her testimonial to those of the yet-unnamed women. She said Almeida sexually assaulted her in 2019, putting his hand up her skirt and touching her private parts without her consent.

“It was horrible what Silvio did. My therapist knows. My friends know. I was Silvio’s victim. I am a voice for these women. For justice and for the truth,” she said.

Almeida previously said that every such report should be fully investigated and that he would send official letters to the relevant government bodies, including the justice ministry, to help facilitate that. He also warned that false accusations are a crime.

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