Silvio Almeida, Lula’s minister, is accused of sexual harassment

The Minister of Human Rights, Silvio de Almeida, has been accused of having committed sexual harassment against several people, including his colleague from Esplanada, the head of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco. The reports are made in a generic manner in a note from the organization Me Too Brazil.

The quote from Anielle appears in several media outlets (among them, Metropolises, S.Paulo Newspaper and The Globe). The Me Too Brazil statement does not mention the minister’s name. In a note (read the full text below)Silvio Almeida denied the accusations and classified them as “false” and repudiated with “vehemence the lies that are being spread”.

THE Poder360 contacted the Minister of Racial Equality and the Minister of Human Rights by phone, WhatsApp messages and email to ask if they would like to comment on the accusations. There was no response by the time this report was published. The text will be updated if a statement is sent to this digital newspaper.

UNDERSTAND

According to Me Too Brazil, the demand was sent by the column of journalist Guilherme Amado, from Metropolisesto confirm the accusations, and the disclosure of the case was made with the consent of the victims, as they work with confidentiality of information.

In a note sent to Poder360 (read below)the entity stated that the women were assisted through the organization’s service channels and received psychological and legal support.

According to the report published by Metropolisesthe minister’s alleged harassment included touching Anielle’s legs, inappropriate kisses when greeting her and expressions of sexual content.

The portal also states that the matter has already reached the CGU (Office of the Comptroller General of the Union), the ministry responsible for dealing with cases of moral and sexual harassment within the federal public service. It is not clear whether any action has been taken.

The report published by the portal also states that the matter is known to several ministers, government advisors and friends of Anielle Franco.

As of the publication of this report, no name from the president’s government Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) nor had the Chief Executive himself spoken out about the accusations.

Read the full statement from Me Too Brazil:

“The organization defending women victims of sexual violence, Me Too Brasil, confirms, with the consent of the victims, that it received complaints of sexual harassment against Minister Silvio Almeida, of Human Rights. They were assisted through the organization’s service channels and received psychological and legal support.

“As is often the case in cases of sexual violence involving perpetrators in positions of power, these victims faced difficulties in obtaining institutional support to validate their complaints. In view of this, they authorized confirmation of the case to the press.

“Victims of sexual violence, especially when the perpetrators are powerful or influential figures, often face obstacles in getting support and having their voices heard. Because of this, Me Too Brazil plays a crucial role in offering unconditional support to victims, even if this involves facing great forces and influences associated with the power of the accused.

“Reporting is the first step towards holding an aggressor legally accountable, demonstrating that no one is above the law, regardless of their social, economic or political position. Reporting an aggressor in a position of power helps break the cycle of impunity that often protects them. Public reporting exposes abusive behavior that is sometimes covered up by institutions or networks of influence.

“Furthermore, exposing a powerful alleged abuser can “embolden other victims to break their silence. In many cases, abuse does not occur in isolation, and reporting it can pave the way for others to seek justice as well.”

“For Me Too Brazil, all victims are treated with the same respect, neutrality and impartiality, with an approach based on the victims’ traumas. In the same way, we treat aggressors, regardless of their position, whether a worker or a minister.”

Read the full note from Silvio Almeida:

“I absolutely vehemently repudiate the lies that are being thrown at me. I repudiate such accusations with the strength of the love and respect that I have for my wife and my beloved 1-year-old daughter, in the midst of the fight that I wage, daily, in favor of human rights and citizenship in this country.

“Any and all complaints must be substantiated. However, what I see are absurd inferences with the sole intention of harming me, erasing our struggles and stories, and blocking our future.

“I confess that it is very sad to experience all this, it hurts my soul. Once again, there is a group wanting to erase and diminish our existence, attributing to me the behaviors that they practice. With this, Brazil loses, the human rights agenda loses, racial equality loses and the Brazilian people lose.

“Each and every complaint must be investigated to the fullest extent of the law, but for this to happen, the facts must be exposed so that they can be investigated and processed. And not just based on lies, without evidence. I will forward official letters to the Office of the Comptroller General of the Union, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Office of the Attorney General so that they can conduct a careful investigation of the case.

“False accusations, as defined in article 339 of the Penal Code, constitute “slanderous denunciation”. Such defamation will not be matched by reality. According to recent movements, it is clear that there is a campaign to affect my image as a black man in a prominent position in Public Power, but these will not be successful. This proves the low and vile character of social sectors committed to backwardness, lies and the attempt to silence the voice of the Brazilian people, regardless of partisan views.

“Any distortions of reality will be uncovered and held accountable. I will always fight for the true emancipation of women, and I will continue to fight for their future. False defenders of the people want to take away the one who represents them. They are trying to erase my history with my sacrifice.”

OTHER ACCUSATIONS

On Wednesday (4.Sep), UOL stated that Silvio de Almeida’s ministry was accused of moral harassment and a series of resignation requests since the beginning of his administration, in January 2023.

According to the portal, until January of this year, 10 internal processes were opened to investigate alleged cases of moral harassment: 7 of them were archived due to “lack of materiality” and 3 were still in the process of being aborted until July of this year.

The ministry sent a note to UOL and said it would not comment on the report.

Read the full note:

“The Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) will not comment on a matter whose formulation is based on false assumptions, without any basis in reality, or in any record produced by the Ministry’s control bodies. The matter lies in trying to induce that there is a systematic environment of harassment.

“In addition, the matter is considered irresponsible, since moral harassment is a crime defined in the Penal Code. And, therefore, it requires material evidence and serious investigation for its configuration, and not just testimonies from people who were dismissed for not being suitable for the job or for committing serious offenses.

“It is important to highlight that the ministry develops several actions to prevent and confront harassment and discrimination. It is worth noting that the MDHC was the first ministry of the current Federal Government administration to launch the Integrity Plan, back in April 2023. In June 2024, the new edition of the Plan was launched, to be in force in the 2024/25 Biennium”.