Rosângela Lula da Silva (born 27 August 1966), commonly known by her nickname Janja (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒɐ̃ʒɐ]), is the First Lady of Brazil as the wife of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[1][2][3][4][5] Previously, she was an assistant to the Director-General and coordinator of sustainable development programs at hydroelectric dam Itaipu Binacional, and a communications and institutional affairs advisor at electric utilities company Eletrobras.
Janja Lula da Silva | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Janja in 2023 | |
| First Lady of Brazil | |
| Assumed role 1 January 2023 | |
| President | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| Preceded by | Michelle Bolsonaro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rosângela da Silva 27 August 1966 União da Vitória, Paraná, Brazil |
| Political party | PT (1983–present) |
| Spouse | |
| Residence | Palácio da Alvorada |
| Alma mater | Federal University of Paraná (BSS) |
Biography
editRosângela was born in União da Vitória, in the state of Paraná.[6] She moved to Curitiba during her childhood.[7] Silva joined the Workers' Party at 17 years of age, in 1983.[3][8] In 1990, she enrolled for studies of Social Science at the Federal University of Paraná and specialized in History.
Janja began working at hydroelectric dam Itaipu Binacional on 1 January 2005 and was an assistant to the Director-General, as well as coordinator of sustainable development programs. Between 2012 and 2016, she was communications and institutional affairs advisor at electric utilities company Eletrobras, in Rio de Janeiro. In 2016, she returned to Itaipu. She resigned from the company on 1 January 2020.[7]
Personal life
editJanja and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 21 years her senior, began dating in 2017, the year his second wife, Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva, died from a stroke.[8][9] They remained together when Lula was arrested and incarcerated for corruption and money laundering at the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba in April 2018.[8][10] Lula complained that they were not given conjugal rights.[10]
When Lula was released, on 8 November 2019, he and Janja announced their engagement.[11] They married on 18 May 2022 in São Paulo in a Catholic ceremony.[12][13]
First Lady of Brazil (2023–present)
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On 1 January 2023, she became the 38th First Lady of Brazil, in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's third term. Janja established an office at the Palace of Panalto, the presidency's official headquarters in Brasilia.[citation needed]
Janja has regularly participated, alongside her husband, in meetings with heads of states and official events. She has also been a strong advocate of women's rights, and released an image of herself on social media with racial equality minister Anielle Franco in solidarity with the latter after she was named as a victim of sexual misconduct by human rights minister Silvio Almeida in September 2024.[14]
In December 2023, she said she would sue social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after her Twitter account was hacked.[15][16] Elon Musk, who owns Twitter, responded: "It is not clear how someone guessing her email password is our responsibility."[17]
Honours
editNational honours
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Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (21 November 2023)
Foreign honours
edit
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (22 April 2023)
France: Officer of the Legion of Honour (28 March 2024)
Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (10 July 2024)[18]
References
edit- ^ Santiago, Abinoan (17 May 2022). "Socióloga, feminista e flamenguis: saiba mais sobre Janja, noiva de Lula". UOL Universa (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Lula casa nesta quarta-feira (18): saiba quem é Janja, noiva do ex-presidente". Isto É Dinheiro (in Portuguese). 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b Oliveira, Wesley (17 May 2022). "Quem é Janja e qual o papel da futura esposa de Lula na campanha do petista". Gazeta do Povo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Destaque na moda nacional, Helô Rocha fará vestido de Janja, noiva do ex-presidente Lula". O Globo (in Portuguese). 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Azevedo, Victoria (18 May 2022). "Janja se casa com Lula nesta quarta e avança em núcleo de campanha do PT". Folha de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Bergamo, Mônica (2 May 2022). "Casamento de Lula e Janja é divulgado em proclamas de jornal do ABC". Folha de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Quem é Rosângela Silva, a Janja, socióloga e esposa de Lula". G1 (in Portuguese). 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b c Hodgkin, Emily (10 February 2023). "Brazil's First Lady Janja Lula is 21 years her husband's junior". Express.co.uk.
- ^ Magazine, Brazzil (27 November 2022). "Janja, Lula's Wife, Will Give a New Meaning to First Lady".
- ^ a b "Lula's lover tweets 'wait for me' after Brazil court ruling". France 24. 8 November 2019.
- ^ Mendonça, Ana Carolina (8 November 2019). "Conheça Janja, a namorada de Lula, com quem ele vai se casar". Correio Braziliense (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Lula se casa com Janja em SP: FOTOS". G1 (in Portuguese). 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Bispo de Blumenau fez o casamento de Lula". Diarinho (in Portuguese). 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Brazil's Lula fires human rights minister accused of sexual misconduct". AP News. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Brazil first lady Rosangela Lula da Silva to sue Elon Musk's X over hacked account". Deccan Herald.
- ^ "Brazil first lady to sue Musk's X over hacked account". The Straits Times. 19 December 2023.
- ^ "Brazil's First Lady slams Elon Musk for downplaying her hacked X account: 'He minimizes a serious event that doesn't just affect me, but thousands of women'". Fortune.
- ^ https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/1592592/