President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Monday (Dec. 8) that he intends to convene a meeting with representatives of the branches of government and social sectors to promote what he called an “educational task force” to combat violence against women. Amid a wave of femicide cases that have shocked the country, thousands of people in several cities took to the streets this weekend to denounce violence and demand freedom, respect, and safety for Brazilian women.

“It is important to involve the National Congress - the Senate and the House of Representatives - the Supreme Court, the Superior Court of Justice, the state courts of justice, trade unionists, evangelicals; we need everyone to join forces in an educational task force,” said Lula in a speech during the 14th National Social Assistance Conference, which is taking place in Brasília.

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The president did not specify a date but said he would try to hold the meeting by the end of the year.

“We must be outraged by violence toward women,” said the president, who again mentioned recent cases, such as the episode in São Paulo involving Douglas Alves da Silva, 26, who ran over and dragged Tainara Souza Santos, 31. The crime occurred on November 29. She had her legs amputated after being dragged under the vehicle for about 1 kilometer and remains hospitalized.

Lula also cited the case of a 39-year-old man arrested in flagrante delicto in Recife, also in late November, accused of setting a fire that killed his pregnant wife and the couple’s four children. The president once again called for male involvement in the fight.

“The plain and simple truth is that violence only has one side. It is not women who have to change their behavior, it is men,” he said.

Lula emphasized that he will make the fight against violence toward women his political struggle from now on. “Here in Brazil, we are going to have to create a movement. It is primarily an educational problem; we are going to have to learn in school and educate our children,” he added.

For the past week, Lula has been addressing the issue of gender violence at the official events he attends.

Violence

According to the National Map of Gender Violence, approximately 3.7 million Brazilian women have experienced one or more episodes of domestic violence in the last 12 months.

In 2024, 1,459 women were victims of femicide. On average, about four women were murdered every day in 2024 because of their gender, whether in contexts of domestic or family violence or due to contempt and discrimination related to their female status.

This year, Brazil has already recorded more than 1,180 femicides and nearly 3,000 daily calls to Ligue 180, Brazil’s national hotline for reporting violence against women, according to the Ministry of Women.

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.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Thursday (Nov. 20), in a video posted on social media, that the US suspension of the 40 percent trade tariff on a specific list of Brazilian products was an important signal.

“It’s not everything I want, it’s not everything Brazil needs, but it’s an important step. President Trump has just announced that he will begin to reduce the tariff on several Brazilian products that were taxed at 40 percent. This is a very important result,” he said. Lula praised the US president’s decision and said he hoped the two could meet again in person in Brazil or the United States.

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“He [Trump] is invited to come to Brazil whenever he wants, and I hope to be invited to Washington to resolve any commercial or political disputes between Brazil and the United States,” he added.

Lula recorded the video alongside Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in São Paulo, shortly before departing for South Africa to attend the G20 Summit. The president made a point of thanking Trump, albeit partially, and urged countries to work toward a comprehensive trade agreement.

“I will thank you only partially, because I will thank you fully when everything is completely agreed between us,” Lula stated.

Retroactive measure

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (Nov. 20) the withdrawal of the 40 percent import tariff on certain Brazilian products. The list released by the White House includes items such as coffee, tea, tropical fruits and fruit juices, cocoa and spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and beef.

In the executive order published by the US Presidency, Trump states that the decision was made after a telephone conversation with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “during which we agreed to begin negotiations to address the issues identified in Executive Order 14,323.” According to the publication, these negotiations are still ongoing.

The measure taken by the United States is retroactive to November 13, the same date as the most recent meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and American Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. On that occasion, they discussed the progress of negotiations to reduce tariffs.

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, scheduled to conclude this Friday (Nov. 21), may be extended to allow negotiators more time to reach consensus on the climate issues under discussion.

This is the assessment of COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, who, in an interview with TV Brasil, evaluated the impact of a fire at a stand in the Blue Zone, the official negotiation area, which led to the suspension of activities at the conference headquarters on Thursday (20) afternoon. The venue reopened later that evening.

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“Things have changed quite a bit. We are holding consultations with regional groups, both online and by phone. Tomorrow (21), now that the Blue Zone has reopened, negotiations will take place in the morning and continue throughout the day. We’ll see how long it lasts - COPs, as you know, generally run longer than expected. We want to move forward, but we’ll see how best to do that,” said Corrêa do Lago.

According to the ambassador, who acknowledged the complexity of the negotiations, a clearer sense of “when it will end” should be possible by late Friday afternoon (21).

“Everyone has already seen, through your coverage, that the negotiations are complex, geopolitics are challenging, and financial issues are difficult. But we feel there is a desire for a good and ambitious outcome here in Belém,” he said.

For the president of COP30, it is essential that the conference produces a strong outcome; otherwise, it could undermine multilateralism and its ability to deliver results that positively impact people’s lives.