Benedita da Silva

Benedita da Silva
Da Silva in 2024
Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro
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
PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Governor of Rio de Janeiro
In office
6 April 2002  31 December 2002
Vice GovernorNone
Preceded byAnthony Garotinho
Succeeded byRosinha Garotinho
Vice Governor of Rio de Janeiro
In office
1 January 1999  5 April 2002
GovernorAnthony Garotinho
Preceded byLuiz Paulo Corrêa da Rocha
Succeeded byLuiz 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
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political partyPT (1982–present)
Spouses
Nilton Aldano da Silva
(m. 1962; died 1981)
    Aguinaldo Bezerra dos Santos
    (m. 1983; died 1988)
      (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 as well in the Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.