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 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, he has spent his political career representing

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...

, 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 group of Pentecostal denominations in Brazil founded by Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren, who came to Brazil as missionaries from the Swedish Pentecostal movement. The Assembleias de Deus are related to the world ...

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, 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, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first ...

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 31 December 2018. He took office after the impeachment and removal from off ...

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 ( pt, Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho). According to the government, the goal of the reform was to combat unemployment and the still ongoing ...

. 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, 27 March 1963) is a Brazilian television host, film actress, singer, model, and businesswoman. Known as "Queen of Little Ones", Xuxa built the largest Latin American children's e ...

. 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 would be an affront to children because Xuxa was part of the cast of the 1980 film '' Love Strange Love'', 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, São Paulo Brazilian Assemblies of God pastors Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) from Pernambuco {{Brazil-politician-stub