‘It hurts to hear six seconds of nonsense from your mouth,’ says Brazil’s First Lady about Senator’s remarks

By Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium

MANAUS (AM) – The First Lady of Brazil, Rosângela da Silva, known as Janja, spoke out this Wednesday, 19th, regarding the statements made by Senator Plínio Valério (PSDB/AM) to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Marina Silva. On the social media platform Instagram, Janja stated that if it is difficult for him to listen to an intelligent woman for six hours, for women, “it hurts to hear six seconds of nonsense” from the senator.

At an event hosted by the Amazonas Federation of Commerce (Fecomércio-AM) on the 13th of this month, the senator from Amazonas, while receiving the Amazonas Commercial Merit Medal 2025, made remarks about the minister regarding the BR-319 highway. In the middle of his speech, he said: “Imagine what it is like to tolerate Marina for six hours without strangling her.”

Janja also stated that Marina is a blessing that Brazil has the privilege of having due to the minister’s environmental advocacy. “A pioneering woman in the defence of the environment and the fight for a fairer and more sustainable world. She has a life and career that has inspired people around the world for decades,” she added.

The First Lady further declared that Plínio Valério’s remarks are “laden with hatred, misogyny, and an enormous degree of ignorance, reflecting his small-mindedness.” “It is this kind of male behaviour that kills our women daily,” she concluded.

Statements

The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Marina Silva, was mentioned during Plínio’s speech when the senator recalled the federal minister’s participation in the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission, the CPI of NGOs, in November 2023.

“Marina was at the CPI of NGOs for six hours and ten minutes. Imagine what it is like to tolerate Marina for six hours and ten minutes without strangling her… My wife, Ana, who is right there, kept sending me messages the whole time, you know, ‘fueling the fire,’ and in the end, she told me: ‘If you had 10% of the patience you had with Marina, we would never argue.’ Because it was everything she wanted—she provoked, provoked, provoked the whole time. But I made her say those absurd things, like the one where she claimed we want a road just to go for a stroll. Well… for a stroll too,” he said.

When mentioning BR-319, the highway that connects Amazonas to other states, Plínio made further attacks. “This BR-319 issue is going to happen, even if by force, it has to happen. Marina is untouchable; Marina is not stupid—she keeps repeating things, it’s brainwashing, but she [inaudible]. Lula wants to remove Marina, but he can’t because of external forces,” he stated.

Reprimand

Plínio Valério’s remarks caused a stir on social media and in Brasília (DF). The President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União/AP), rebuked the senator’s statements about the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change during a regular session on Wednesday afternoon, 19th, in the plenary hall of the Senate.

Alcolumbre deemed the senator’s comments “unfortunate” and stated that he felt compelled to address the incident due to strong demands from both female and male senators, as he holds a leadership position in the Federal Senate.

“I do not agree with many of the ideological positions of the Minister of the Environment regarding the country, but I believe my dear colleague, Senator Plínio Valério, needs to clarify his statement, perhaps even justify if it was a mistake and not what he meant to say. But we are living in such difficult times that a statement from a Senator of the Republic, even if made jokingly or in a light-hearted tone, unfortunately, goes against what we want for Brazil,” said the President of the Senate.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves