Minister of Environment leaves hearing after recalling ‘strangling’ threat and suffering new attack

By Ana Cláudia Leocádio – From Cenarium

BRASÍLIA (DF) – The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, left the public hearing of the Senate Infrastructure Committee (CI) this Tuesday, the 27th, after suffering a new act of gender-based violence committed by Senator Plínio Valério (PSDB-AM). Plínio stated that he respected Marina Silva as a “woman” and not as a “minister.” Marina said she had been invited to the House as a minister and not as a woman, and that she would only remain if Plínio apologized. He refused.

“The woman deserves respect, the minister does not. That’s what I want to separate,” said the senator from Amazonas. “Why don’t you respect me as a minister? You’re the one who said you wanted to strangle me,” the minister replied.

Marina had been invited to provide information on studies and meetings held for the creation of marine Conservation Units on the coast of the State of Amapá, in the so-called Equatorial Margin, but ended up being questioned on other matters such as the BR-319 highway, potash exploration in Autazes (AM), and the “Ferrogrão” railway in Mato Grosso.

At the moment Plínio made the distinction between woman and minister, Marina recalled that Plínio had previously expressed the intention to hang her, and an argument ensued, with Senator Rogério Carvalho (PT-SE) suggesting that the guest be withdrawn if the disrespect against her continued.

Minister Marina Silva was invited, at the request of Senator Lucas Barreto (PSD-AP), to provide information on studies and meetings held for the creation of marine Conservation Units on the coast of the State of Amapá, in the so-called Equatorial Margin, but ended up being questioned on other matters such as the paving of BR-319, potash exploration in Autazes (AM), and the “Ferrogrão” railway in Mato Grosso, for example.

Strangulation Threat

At an event by the Amazonas Trade Federation (Fecomércio-AM) in March this year, the senator from Amazonas, upon receiving the Amazonas 2025 Commercial Merit Medal, made statements against the minister because of BR-319 and, in the middle of his speech, said: “Imagine what it’s like to tolerate Marina for six hours without strangulating her.”

Before Plínio, Senator Omar Aziz (PSD-AM) had also lost his temper with the minister over BR-319, accusing her of delaying the country’s development. Marina said she had been out of government for 15 years and no one managed to pave the highway, and to this day they use her as a “scapegoat” for not doing so.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves