BRASALIA, Brazil: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appointed Macae Evaristo as the new human rights minister after firing her predecessor, Silvio Almeida, over sexual harassment allegations.
Evaristo, a lawmaker from Minas Gerais state and the first Black education secretary there, was named following the scandal involving Almeida, who allegedly harassed several female colleagues, including Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco.
The allegations, reported to the women’s association Me Too Brasil, led to federal police and the presidential ethics commission investigations.
Almeida, a prominent intellectual and lawyer, denied the accusations, calling them false and intended to damage his reputation. He requested his dismissal to clear his name, stating it would provide him “a chance to prove my innocence.” This marks the first such scandal involving Lula’s government since his return to power last year.
