Senator tells Minister of Environment to ‘know her place’ after she says she is ‘not submissive’
27 de May de 2025
By Jadson Lima – From Cenerium
MANAUS (AM) – Senator Marcos Rogério (PL-RO) told the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, to “know her place” during a hearing held this Tuesday, the 27th, in the Infrastructure Committee of the Federal Senate. The minister had been invited by the parliamentarians to participate in a session discussing studies for the creation of marine conservation units on the Equatorial Margin, on Brazil’s northern coast.
The debate between Marina and the senators escalated when Omar Aziz (PSD-AM) tried to accuse the minister of attempting to hinder the country’s development through decisions by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA). After she reacted to the statements of the Amazonas senator, the senator from Rondônia, who was chairing the committee, claimed Marina lacked manners. Marcos Rogério is an ally of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
“These are Minister Marina Silva’s manners. She points her finger and… But I won’t play the victim,” said Marcos Rogério. With her finger raised, the minister said the senator wanted her to be a submissive woman and demanded respect. “Respect me, [you] know your place,” retorted the chair of the session.
After his statement, senators from Lula’s government base, who were attending the session—such as Senator Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA)—reacted against the committee chair. “What is this, president? You should know your place,” said Gama, who demanded respect for the minister. Then, the committee chair interrupted Marina again and claimed he asked her to know her place as a State Minister.
During the discussion, Rogério said he treats Marina with respect and dignity, as he does with all authorities who attend the committee. “We’ll have another hearing so we can continue this debate for longer,” said Rogério. Omar, without requesting the floor, said into the microphone: “No, next time it won’t be a hearing. It will be a summons,” he emphasized.
Minister left the session
Amid the tense clash in the committee, Marina Silva left the public hearing after again suffering gender-based violence by Senator Plínio Valério (PSDB-AM). The senator from Amazonas stated that he respected Marina Silva as a “woman” but not as a “minister.”
Marina said she had been invited to the House as a minister, not as a woman, and that she would only remain if Plínio apologized. He refused. “A woman deserves respect, the minister doesn’t. That’s what I want to separate,” said the Amazonas senator. “Why don’t you respect me as a minister? You’re the one who said you wanted to strangle me,” the minister fired back.