Brazil Lula Ally Paulo Rocha Regrets 11 October Scuffle
BRAZIL · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, holds a presidential runoff on Sunday 25 October between President Lula and conservative senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
- —What happened Paulo Rocha, head of Sudam, the federal Amazon development agency, was accused of assaulting women at a Belém wedding on Sunday 11 October.
- —Who he is A Workers’ Party member since 1981, Rocha was elected five times to Brazil’s lower house and was senator for Pará from 2015 to 2023.
- —His answer On Monday 12 October he apologised in public, saying he went too far but did not directly assault anyone.
- —Police Citing the military police, Metrópoles says he was booked for a minor offence; the civil police had not commented by Monday night.
- —Still open No report carries comment from Sudam or the civil police, and the women involved have not been named.
Paulo Rocha, who runs Brazil’s federal Amazon development agency, has apologised after being accused of assaulting women at a wedding party. The party took place in Belém, the Amazon port city, on Sunday 11 October.
Rocha belongs to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party, and the claims come 13 days before Lula’s runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro. Flávio’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
What Happened at the Wedding in Belém
Outlets including Metrópoles in Brasília and O Liberal in Belém report that Paulo Rocha was accused of assaulting women at the wedding. O Liberal places the party at the Casa da Seresta, a venue in Belém’s Umarizal district.
Videos shared on social media show the scene, according to both outlets. Metrópoles says the footage shows Paulo Rocha being held back by people at the party and later agitated in front of police officers.
Citing the military police, the state’s uniformed patrol force, Metrópoles reports that officers were called and took Rocha to a police station. A TCO, a report for lesser offences that goes to a special court, was filed there, and he must appear when summoned.
O Liberal gives a more cautious account, saying a video shows Rocha inside a police station. Police had not confirmed the circumstances, the victims or any measures taken, it adds.
What Paulo Rocha Said
On Monday 12 October, a national holiday in Brazil, Rocha published a public apology on social media. “I recognise that I went too far, but I did not directly assault anyone,” he wrote.
He also said that his wife was not at the party, both outlets report. O Liberal quotes him as writing that he has an “exemplary public life” but that “in this case I was wrong”.
No outlet names the women or reports any comment from them. O Liberal, Metrópoles and g1 all say the civil police, who investigate crimes in Brazil’s states, had not answered their questions.
One Workers’ Party lawmaker has spoken out. Dilvanda Faro, a federal deputy for Pará, rejected “any form of violence against women, regardless of who is involved,” O Liberal reports.
She also asked for the case to be investigated by the proper authorities.
Who Paulo Rocha Is
Paulo Rocha began his career as a union leader, heading the printers’ union and the Pará branch of CUT, Brazil’s largest labour federation. He joined the Workers’ Party, Lula’s left-wing party, in 1981, according to the CV published by Sudam.
He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil’s lower house, five times from 1990 to 2006. In 2014 Pará voters sent him to the Senate, where he led the Workers’ Party group.
He ran for governor of Pará in 2018 and took over Sudam in 2023, the first year of Lula’s current term.
Why Sudam Matters to Investors
Sudam, the Superintendency for the Development of the Amazon, is a federal agency with its headquarters in Belém itself. Its area covers Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins and western Maranhão.
Its job is to attract private investment to the region with tax and financial incentives. They include a 75% cut in corporate income tax for projects in priority sectors that are filed and approved by 31 December 2028.
Under the 2007 law that recreated Sudam, its decisions are taken by a five-member board chaired by the superintendent. Brazil’s president appoints all five members.
What It Means for You
For travellers, the episode changes nothing: it happened at a private party.
For investors with projects in the Amazon, the question is whether Rocha keeps his post. No report carries any response from Lula’s government.
For readers following the race, the episode involves a veteran of Lula’s party in the last two weeks of the campaign. Our guide explains when Brazil’s runoff results come in on 25 October.
What Is Not Known
It is not known who accused Paulo Rocha, how many women were involved, or exactly what they say happened. Police have not released their own account, and O Liberal says the circumstances remain unconfirmed.
It is also unclear whether any court case will follow, or whether Lula will keep Rocha at Sudam. No report carries comment from the agency, the Workers’ Party leadership or Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Paulo Rocha?
Paulo Rocha is the head of Sudam, Brazil’s federal agency for Amazon development, a post he took in 2023. A former union leader, he served five terms as a federal deputy and one as senator for Lula’s Workers’ Party.
What is Paulo Rocha accused of?
Brazilian outlets report that he was accused of assaulting women at a wedding party in Belém on Sunday 11 October. He denies directly assaulting anyone but admits he went too far.
Was Paulo Rocha arrested?
Citing the military police, Metrópoles reports that he was taken to a station and booked for a minor offence. In Brazil, that kind of report sends a case to a special court for minor offences. O Liberal says police have not confirmed what measures they took.
Sources: Sudam (curriculum of Superintendent Paulo Rocha), accessed 13 October 2026; Metrópoles, 12 October 2026; O Liberal (accusation), 12 October 2026; O Liberal (apology), 12 October 2026; Presidency of Brazil (Complementary Law 124/2007 on Sudam), accessed 13 October 2026; Presidency of Brazil (Provisional Measure 2,199-14/2001, tax incentives), accessed 13 October 2026; O Liberal (Dilvanda Faro statement), 12 October 2026; g1 Pará, 12 October 2026; DOL (Diário Online), 12 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief