Politicians and artists mocked the accusation and attacked Damares

This week, allegations of sexual exploitation of children and trafficking of underage people on Marajó Island, in Pará, returned to the news following the repercussion of a song by singer Aymeê entitled “Evangelho de fariseus”.

The topic gained national repercussion for the first time in 2022 through complaints made by the then Minister of Human Rights and current senator, Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF). At the time, Damares was the target of attacks from politicians and artists who tried to discredit the allegations.

After the video of Damares denouncing the alleged crimes went viral, in October 2022, after the first round of elections, presenter Xuxa Meneghel released a petition asking for the senator’s mandate to be revoked before Damares took office.

The petition was also endorsed by presenter Marcelo Tas, actress Patrícia Pillar and journalist and writer Xico Sá. After appeals from celebrities, the petition gained strength and is still active on the internet with more than 1 million signatures.

Damares was also the target of attacks by politicians such as the then presidential candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), and was reported to the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) through a crime report presented by Erika Hilton, PSOL parliamentarian .

Damares was accused of malfeasance and spreading false information for electoral purposes.

At the time, when giving an interview on a podcast, Lula tried to discredit the accusations made by Damares and classified them as “absurd”.

“It’s such an absurd thing that in my head I don’t get the idea that someone can say something like that, it’s not possible,” said the PT member to Flow Podcast.

This Thursday (22), after the topic returned to the news, the Lula government said that “the experiences of the traditional populations of Marajó cannot be reduced to sexual exploitation”.

As reported by People’s Gazettecases of prostitution and pedophilia in Marajó have been investigated since 2006.