Francisco Eurico da Silva (born 12 September 1962) more commonly known as Pastor Eurico is a Brazilian politician and pastor. Although born in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, he has spent his political career representing

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

, having served as federal deputy representative since 2011.

Personal life

Silva was born to João Eurico da Silva and Djanira Soares da Silva. He is a pastor of the

Assembleias de Deus The Assembleias de Deus () are a Pentecostalism, Pentecostal church in Brazil founded by Daniel Berg (evangelist), Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren, who came to Brazil as missionaries from the Swedish Pentecostal Movement, Swedish Pentecostal mov ...

church.

Political career

Silva was the author of a bill known in Brazil as "Gay Cure", which allows treatments aimed at reversing homosexuality. The bill, which had already been presented by other parliamentarians and was widely criticized during the

2013 protests in Brazil The 2013 Brazilian protests were public demonstrations in several Brazilian cities, initiated mainly by the Movimento Passe Livre (Free Fare Movement), a local entity that advocates for free public transportation. The demonstrations were ini ...

, amends resolutions of the Brazilian Federal Council of Psychology that prohibit psychologists from considering homosexuality a disease or that try to reverse sexual orientation. However, after the request of his party, Silva withdrew the draft bill and asked for its filing. Silva voted in favor of the impeachment against then-president

Dilma Rousseff Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the only woman to have held the ...

and political reformation. He would later back Rousseff's successor

Michel Temer Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia (; born 23 September 1940) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 31 August 2016 to 1 January 2019. He took office after the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impe ...

against a similar impeachment motion, and also voted in favor of the

Brazil labor reform (2017) The 2017 labor reform in Brazil was a significant change in the country's Consolidation of Labor Laws (). According to the government, the goal of the reform was to combat unemployment and the still ongoing 2014 Brazilian economic crisis. The bi ...

. He joined the Patriot party in 2018.

Feud with Xuxa

Silva had a well publicised spat with Brazilian television personality

Xuxa Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel ( , ; born Maria da Graça Meneghel on 27 March 1963) is a Brazilian TV host, actress, singer, and businesswoman. Nicknamed "The Queen of Children", Xuxa built the largest Latin and South American children's ente ...

. The latter, who is affectionately known in Brazil as "Queen of Little Children" for her television programs aimed at kids, was rebuked by Silva in a public hearing about a bill to ban child

corporal punishment in the home Physical or corporal punishment by a parent or other legal guardian is any act causing deliberate physical pain or discomfort to a minor child in response to some undesired behavior. It typically takes the form of spanking or slapping the chi ...

by parents and adult guardians. The congressman said that Xuxa's presence in the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

would be an affront to children because Xuxa was part of the cast of the 1980 film ''

Love Strange Love ''Love Strange Love'' () is a 1982 Brazilian erotic crime drama film written and directed by Walter Hugo Khouri. The film stars Vera Fischer, Tarcísio Meira, Xuxa Meneghel, and Matilde Mastrangi. Fischer won the Best Actress Award at the ...

'', in which the character played by Xuxa has sexual relations with a 12-year-old boy.

References

1962 births Living people People from Presidente Prudente Brazilian Assemblies of God pastors Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) from Pernambuco Liberal Party (Brazil, 2006) politicians Brazilian Socialist Party politicians Patriota politicians Humanist Party of Solidarity politicians {{Brazil-Deputy-stub