Lula addresses femicide, urges men to combat violence
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke on Tuesday (Dec. 2) about recent femicide cases that shocked Brazil, urging men to take responsibility for changing the culture of gender-based violence in society. He made the statement during an event in Ipojuca, in the metropolitan region of Recife, which marked the launch of works to expand the operational capacity of the Abreu e Lima Refinery (Rnest).
“I wanted to address us men. What goes on in the mind of this animal, considered the most intelligent species on Earth, to cause so much violence? I woke up on Sunday (Nov. 30) and during breakfast, Janja (the first lady) started crying. At night, while watching Fantástico (on TV Globo), she cried again. Yesterday (Monday), she cried once more,” said the president.
Lula said that the first lady asked him to take a “tougher stance” against violence by men toward women. He cited some of the most tragic incidents of violence recorded in recent days.
“This week, a man grabbed two pistols and fired them at his wife. Another killed his pregnant wife, who had three children, and set their house on fire. Yet another ran over his wife and dragged her for a kilometer. She will survive, but with both legs amputated. The question I ask is: does the Brazilian Penal Code have a penalty capable of bringing justice to an irrational animal like that?” he questioned.
Two of the cases cited by Lula occurred in the city of São Paulo. In one, a man fled after firing at least six times with two weapons at his ex-partner in a pastry shop where she worked, in the northern zone of the city, on Monday morning (Dec. 1). He did not accept the end of the relationship. The other case, also an attempted femicide, was committed by Douglas Alves da Silva, 26, who ran over and dragged Tainara Souza Santos, 31, on Saturday morning (Nov. 29), also in the northern zone of São Paulo. She had both legs amputated after being dragged under the vehicle for about a kilometer and remains hospitalized.
In Recife, a 39-year-old man was arrested on the spot on Saturday, suspected of starting a fire that killed his pregnant wife and the couple’s four children.
“Each of us men needs to be a teacher to one another. Each of us has to educate our children, and each of us has to educate our partners. If you’re not happy with your partner, please be a grown man - don’t hit her, just separate from her. If she doesn’t like you, she isn’t obligated to stay with you; let her live her life. Don’t imprison that person, don’t be cruel, don’t be ignorant. Because when you think about it, there’s no punishment for a man like that - even death is too mild. There needs to be a national movement of men against the animals who beat, abuse, and mistreat women,” Lula continued.
Femicide is the homicide of a woman committed because of her gender, characterized by domestic or family violence, contempt, or discrimination against the female condition. It is considered the most extreme expression of gender violence and often occurs as the culmination of a history of aggression, motivated by hatred, dehumanization, or a sense of ownership over the victim. In Brazil, it is classified as a heinous crime and, when treated as an aggravating circumstance in homicide, carries a prison sentence of twelve to thirty years.
Since January, 207 women have been killed in the state of São Paulo alone as victims of femicide. In October, there were 22 victims of this type of crime and another 5,838 women who suffered intentional bodily harm.
Male awareness
Also in his speech, the president recalled being raised by his mother, along with five siblings, and taught never to act violently toward women. He called on men to demonstrate character, dignity, and respect, and renewed his appeal for a collective effort by men to confront gender violence.
“From now on, I am part of a movement of men who will begin raising awareness in this country that men were not born to beat women, to rape children, or to commit violence. Raise your hand if you are with me in this fight. We are going to have a strong campaign,” he emphasized.
Refinery
Considered Petrobras’ most modern refinery, Rnest will receive approximately BRL 12 billion in investments to complete processing unit 2 and carry out additional maintenance on processing unit 1, which is expected to add 130,000 barrels per day to the plant’s processing capacity. The refinery is estimated to reach 260,000 barrels per day by the end of the project in 2029. According to the state-owned company, it will supply 17 percent of the country’s diesel demand and will also produce gasoline, LPG, and naphtha.
