Brazil's Environment Minister Walks Out of Senate After Senator Says He Doesn't Respect Her as Head of the Ministry - Folha de S.Paulo

Environment Minister Marina Silva walked out of the Senate Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday (27) after PSDB leader Senator Plínio Valério (AM) said he wanted to separate the woman from the minister because "the former deserved respect and the latter did not."

"Minister Marina, it's nice to see you again. And when I look at you, I see a minister—I’m not talking to a woman. Because the woman deserves respect; the minister does not," said Plínio as he greeted her.

Plínio had already insulted the minister back in March when he said he felt like strangling her. "Since I was invited here as a minister, either he apologizes or I will leave," Marina Silva replied.

The session was marked by provocations, interruptions, and clashes. In another tense moment, the committee chairman, Senator Marcos Rogério (PL-RO), said the minister "should know her place."

"This is Minister Marina Silva’s manners. She points her finger," said Rogério. "Yes, I do have manners. What you’d like is for me to be a submissive woman. But I am not," Marina responded.

As she left Congress, Marina said she felt attacked and was a victim of gender-based violence. In a phone call, Lula told her she was right to leave the session.

Marina Silva had been invited by the committee to explain the creation of a marine conservation area off the country’s northern coast, known as the Equatorial Margin, where Petrobras is seeking permission to conduct oil exploration and drilling.