Brazilian Silvio Almeida, who was sacked from his ministerial post 14 months ago after the anonymous accusations first surfaced, was formally accused by police of sexually harassing several women. Although the incident remains an informal secret, Minister of Racial Equality Mariel Franco stands out among the alleged victims. According to newspaper reports, Almeida touched him during a cabinet meeting in the presence of the federal police chief. Almeida was a philosopher with a distinguished academic career and one of Brazil’s most prominent black intellectuals at the time he was appointed Minister of Human Rights by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He professes his innocence and claims the whole thing is a campaign against him.
Police have sent a complaint against Almeida to the Supreme Court, which is handling the case. This information will be forwarded to the Republic Attorney General’s Office, which will decide whether there is enough evidence to bring the sexual harassment suspect to trial. The complaint is being handled by the Supreme Court because Almeida was a pastor when the reported events occurred. The former minister fell into ostracism.
There is little certainty on this subject as the process is secret. magazine Piauí He published a detailed explanation based on a wide range of sources. Although Minister Franco is known to have issued statements to the police, she has virtually not spoken publicly on the matter. Both Almeida and Franco, the sister of murdered City Council member Mariel Franco, were active participants in the black movement and came to government from the world outside professional politics. They were two of Lula’s most popular ministers among Brazilian progressives.
The sexist attack on Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum by a man during a recent public event has put a spotlight on a type of violence that only affects women but extends to even the most powerful among them.
The scandal broke in September 2024, when Me to Brazil, an NGO that advocates for victims of sexual violence, revealed that it had received anonymous complaints from five women against Minister Almeida. After the initial shock, President Lula decided to terminate it, considering the public reputation of the defendant. He called him to his office and demanded his resignation. When he refused, he was fired.
The initial anonymous tip was confirmed hours later by a candid account posted by a woman on Instagram. Professor Isabel Rodriguez said that after befriending and sharing coffee with Almeida, Almeida put his hand under her skirt and touched her private parts while she was having lunch with others after a work meeting in 2019. “It took me a while to realize that I was a victim,” he explained at the time.
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