Benedita da Silva

Benedita da Silva
Da Silva in 2024
Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2011
In office 1 February 1987 – 1 February 1995
Minister of the Special Bureau of Labour and Social Assistance
In office 1 January 2003 – 1 January 2007
President	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Governor of Rio de Janeiro
In office 6 April 2002 – 31 December 2002
Vice Governor	None
Preceded by	Anthony Garotinho
Succeeded by	Rosinha Garotinho
Vice Governor of Rio de Janeiro
In office 1 January 1999 – 5 April 2002
Governor	Anthony Garotinho
Preceded by	Luiz Paulo Corrêa da Rocha
Succeeded by	Luiz Paulo Conde
Senator for Rio de Janeiro
In office 1 February 1995 – 1 January 1999
Councillor of Rio de Janeiro
In office 1 January 1983 – 1 January 1987
Personal details
Born	(1942-04-26) 26 April 1942 (age 82) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political party	PT (1982–present)
Spouses	Nilton Aldano da Silva ​ ​ (m. 1962; died 1981)​ Aguinaldo Bezerra dos Santos ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 1988)​ Antônio Pitanga ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	Pedro (b. 1964) Nilcéa (b. 1966)

Benedita Souza da Silva Sampaio (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [beneˈdʒitɐ ˈsowzɐ da ˈsiwvɐ sɐ̃ˈpaju]; born 26 April 1942) is a Brazilian politician. From a working-class background, she faced class and racial prejudice, overcoming it to become the first female and Afro-Brazilian governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro and, later, Minister of the said Secretary of State^[1] as well in the Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. She