Whistleblowers of harassment at Caixa repudiate Bolsonaro’s speech: ‘Amazing’

In an open letter, whistleblowers in the case of alleged harassment involving the then president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Pedro Guimarães, considered the statement made by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) about the case “appalling”.

In an interview with the website “Metrópoles”, shown yesterday, Bolsonaro said he saw “nothing blunt” in the complaints that were presented. At the time, women reported unwanted touches and inappropriate invitations at events, offices, garages and inside Caixa’s cars.

This Tuesday (25), the whistleblowers reacted with “revolt” and “indignation” to the representative’s speech and regretted that their word had been called into question as a contribution to the revictimization process.

“Above all, it is a reason for indignation and revolt that, by minimizing the pain and suffering already expressed in numerous testimonies before Caixa’s Internal Affairs, the Public Labor Ministry and, in the criminal sphere, the Federal Public Ministry, the victims have his word put in doubt in contribution to the process of revictimization that a President of the Republic should be committed to fighting”, said the complainants.

Last week, Caixa confirmed the end of internal investigations into allegations of moral and sexual harassment by Guimarães against employees of the institution, but avoided disclosing the conclusion.

“The bank does not disclose the document, as only the competent authorities will be able to break the secrecy of the content,” the bank said in a written response.

The information was anticipated by Veja magazine. According to the report, the report sent to the Public Ministry has 490 pages.

Guimarães was dismissed from the presidency of Caixa on June 29 after the Metrópoles portal revealed that the MPF was investigating allegations of abuse. Daniella Marques replaced him in office.

Read the letter in full:

In view of a recent interview given by Mr. President of the Republic, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, to Portal Metrópoles, in which he claims that there is “nothing forceful” in the complaints made about what became publicly known as the sexual harassment scandal at Caixa and in which the former president of that country is investigated. organ, Mr. Pedro Guimarães, on behalf of and at the request of the VICTIMS we represent in the criminal sphere in this case, we have to say:

One, it is astonishing that for the Mandatory of the nation there are not blunt acts reported and attributed to the president of a
institution of the size of Caixa, which should have efficient control and governance instruments, consisting of profound violations of the bodies, images and privacy of the agency’s servants;

Two, being a reason for sadness that conducts such as groping breasts and buttocks, kissing and sniffing necks and hair, summoning employees to their rooms in hotels under different professional pretexts and receiving them in intimate attire, in addition to constant invitations for “massages”, ” swimming pools” or trips to “saunas” are naturalized and considered, we repeat, as “non-blunt” by the Chief Executive;

Three, above all, is a reason for indignation and revolt that, by minimizing the pain and suffering already expressed in numerous testimonies before Caixa Corregedoria, the Public Ministry of Labor and, in the criminal sphere, the Federal Public Ministry, the victims have their word put in doubt as a contribution to the process of revictimization that a President of the Republic should be committed to fighting.

Finally, out of respect for the voice of the victims, we reproduce part of their statement in full: “Would it be blunt, Mr President of the Republic, if the fact happened to your wife or daughter? We believe so. , mothers and professionals who were abused, harmed and attacked by the conduct of someone who should be a leader, but who chose to be an executioner. And, as in their harsh and despicable words, we were discredited and relegated to our own fate by the institution that should guarantee our integrity. But we don’t shut up and we won’t shut up. The truth, just the truth, is strong enough to do justice and so that other women don’t suffer the same as we do.

Brasilia, October 25, 2022.