President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke out this Tuesday (2) about the recent cases of femicides that shocked the country and demanded a response from men themselves to change the culture of gender violence that predominates in society. The statement was made during an event in Ipojuca (PE), 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 give a speech to us, men. What is happening in the head of this animal, which is considered the most intelligent animal species on planet Earth, for so much violence? I woke up on Sunday [30] to have coffee and, in the cafe, Janja [primeira-dama] started crying. At night, watching the Fantastic [da TV Globo]Janja cried again. Yesterday [segunda]she cried again”, said the president.
The president said the first lady asked him for a “tougher fight” to confront men’s violence against women. He cited some of the most tragic episodes of violence recorded in recent days.
“This week there was a guy who took two pistols in his hand and discharged them at his wife. There was another who killed a pregnant woman with three children, set fire to the house. There was another who ran over the woman and dragged her [por] one kilometer. This woman will survive with both legs amputated. The question I ask is the following: does the Brazilian Penal Code have a penalty to do justice to an irrational animal like this?”, he asked.
Two of the cases cited by Lula occurred in the capital of São Paulo. In one of them, a man fled after shooting at least six times, and using two weapons, at his ex-partner in a pastry shop where she worked in the north of São Paulo, on the morning of this Monday (1st). He did not accept the end of the relationship. The other crime, also an attempted feminicide, was committed by Douglas Alves da Silva, aged 26, who ran over and dragged Tainara Souza Santos, 31 years old, on Saturday morning (29), also in the north of São Paulo. She had her legs amputated after being dragged under the vehicle for around a kilometer, and remains hospitalized in a city hospital.
In Recife, a 39-year-old man was arrested in the act, also on Saturday, suspected of causing a fire that killed his pregnant wife and the couple’s four children.
“Each of us men needs to be each other’s teacher. Each of us has to educate our children, each of us has to educate our companions. If you are not okay with your partner, please be big, don’t hit her, separate from her. If she doesn’t like you, she is not obligated to stay with you, let her mind her own business. Don’t imprison that person, don’t be mean, don’t be ignorant. Because, when you think about it, there is no penalty to punish a guy like that, because even death is gentle. There needs to be a national movement of men, against animals that beat, that judge, that mistreat women”, continued Lula.
Femicide is the homicide of a woman committed because of her gender, characterized by domestic and family violence, disregard or discrimination against the female condition. It is considered the maximum expression of gender violence and often occurs as an outcome of a history of aggression, and may be motivated by hatred, inferiority or a feeling of ownership over the victim.. In Brazil, it is considered a heinous crime and, when classified as homicide, the penalty is imprisonment for 12 to 30 years.
Since January, 207 women have been killed in the state of São Paulo alone, victims of feminicide. In October, there were 22 victims of this type of crime and another 5,838 women who suffered intentional bodily harm.
Male awareness
Still in his speech, the president cited the fact that he was raised by his mother, along with five other brothers, and educated never to act violently towards women. Lula called for a lesson in character, dignity and respect from men, and reinforced the call for a collective male campaign to combat gender-based violence.
“From now on, I’m part of a movement of men who are going to start raising awareness in this country that men are not born to beat women, rape children or commit violence. Raise your hand if you’re with me in this fight. We’re going to run a strong campaign”, he emphasized.
Refinery
Considered Petrobras’ most modern refinery, Rnest will receive investments of around R$12 billion for the completion of Train 2 and other maintenance activities for Train 1, which should add 130 thousand barrels per day of processing capacity to the plant. The estimate is that the refinery will reach 260 thousand barrels per day at the end of the project in 2029. According to the state-owned company, it should meet 17% of the national diesel demand, but will also produce gasoline, LPG and naphtha.
