BrasiliaBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday dismissed his Human Rights Minister, Silvio Almeida, after several women accused him of sexual harassment, a scandal that has shaken his government in recent hours.
“Faced with the serious accusations against Minister Silvio Almeida and after summoning him for a conversation at the Planalto Palace (…), President Lula decided to dismiss the head of the Human Rights and Citizenship portfolio,” said a statement from the presidency.
“The president considers the minister’s continued tenure in office to be unsustainable given the nature of the accusations,” the statement added.
The controversy, the first of its kind involving a member of Lula’s government since his return to power in January 2023, broke out the day before when the news site Metrópoles revealed that the Me Too Brasil association had received complaints from several women, including the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco.
Me Too Brasil confirmed the report and said the women concerned had “received psychological and legal support.”
Federal police announced on Friday that they will investigate the allegations, while the Presidential Ethics Commission began a preliminary procedure the day before to clarify the allegations.
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– 2024-09-07 18:55:46
