President Lula criticized for joking about women’s violence.

Rio: This week, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joked about violence against women, sparking outrage.

At a Brasilia ministerial and business meeting, Lula called fresh data on women’s violence “sad news.”

In response to a research that indicated such abuse regularly occurred after football matches, the 78-year-old leader joked that “If the guy is a Corinthians fan, it’s OK,” referring to his favorite team.

The Tuesday livestreamed statements drew much criticism.

“Besides not being funny, Lula’s comment normalizes a Brazilian tragedy that should worry everyone, especially the president: at least 10,600 women have been victims of femicide since 2015,” Amnesty stated on X.

According to the survey, physical hostility against women climbs by 21% on game days. The NGO said, “It’s not OK.”

Far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, regularly attacked for misogynism, also criticized Lula’s “nonsense” on social media.