Weintraub is punished for citing “shambles” and criticizing Paulo Freire

The Public Ethics Commission of the Presidency punished former Minister of Education Abraham Weintraub with “ethical censorship” for “offending the image of Paulo Freire” and “attacks on authorities and higher education institutions”. The decision was published on Monday (3).

Ethical censorship is a reprimand of a political nature, provided for in the Code of Conduct of the High Federal Administration in cases of violation of the standards of conduct established for federal servants. When a person is no longer in public service, the act has no consequences other than the record of punishment.

Weintraub came under investigation by the Ethics Commission of the Presidency after the release of images of a ministerial meeting on April 22, 2020, when the former minister, when speaking of corruption in Brasília, said that he would send “vagabonds to jail, starting in the STF”. Weintraub left the role in June of the same year.

In the lawsuit against Weintraub, other controversial statements by the former minister were included, such as calling the action of left-wing militancy in universities a “shamble” and insults to Paulo Freire. In October 2019, he wrote on Twitter: “After lunch, looking out the window, I see the tombstone of education in front of MEC and I think: I thought it was impossible, but Paulo Freire seen from above is even uglier. At least the MEC is already decorated for Halloween. Bring the kids for a good scare fun!”