Brazil president appoints first woman to Cabinet

By Maria Paz Salas

SANTIAGO, Chile (AA) – Brazilian President Michel Temer fired his solicitor general on Friday and appointed in his place the first woman in his administration to hold a Cabinet-level post.

The president’s office confirmed in a statement that Grace Maria Fernandes Mendonca would take over for Fabio Osorio.

The statement did not provide a reason for the move; however, local media claimed Osorio and Temer’s chief of staff, Eliseu Padilha, had disagreements that could have led to his departure.

Temer assumed the presidency on an interim basis in May, after the first woman to lead Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, was suspended from office to prepare for an impeachment trial.

He officially took over the country’s leadership Aug. 31, after Rousseff was dismissed by the Senate for violating fiscal responsibilities related to Brazil´s budget.

She has denied the charges and accused the opposition of orchestrating a “coup” against her.

Temer’s has been heavily criticized because his 22-member Cabinet consisted of only white men and analysts pointed to the fact that it is the first time since the country’s 20-year military dictatorship beginning in the mid-1960s that there were no women in the Cabinet.

Although not a Cabinet-level post, in May, Temer appointed Silvia Bastos Marques to head the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), an important economic position.

In addition to the gender issue, three of Temer’s ministers have resigned amid allegations of corruption, shortly after he was appointed interim president.

The 75-year-old former vice president and lawyer will complete Rousseff’s term which ends in 2018.