First Lady Rosângela da Silva, known as Janja, failed to shake hands with Iran’s Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Seyed Mohammad Hosseini during the President’s inauguration ceremony Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
Pictures captured the moment, which took place during the reception ceremony for the heads of state at the Planalto Palace last Sunday. The video shows that Janja only nods to the representative of the Islamic country. Hosseini greets Lula and speaks to him. Meanwhile, Janja is next to Lu Alckmin, wife of the sworn Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB). They exchange a few words and pose for photos.
After that, the Vice President of Iran briefly shakes Alckmin’s hand and nods to Janja and Lu Alckmin, who respond immediately. After the episode, the First Lady returns to Lula’s side to greet the next head of state.
Janja is vocal in her support of women’s rights, and Iran has been criticized for its repression of women’s rights. At the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Iranian fans protested against the ban on visiting the stadiums in their home country. The President met again this Monday (2nd) with 18 authorities from other countries in the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília.