Maria das Graças Carvalho Dantas (born 21 May 1969), known as Maria Dantas, is a Brazilian-Spanish activist and politician who had served as Member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain.
Maria Dantas | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 16 May 2019 – 30 May 2023 | |
| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maria das Graças Carvalho Dantas 21 May 1969 Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil |
| Political party | Republican Left of Catalonia |
| Other political affiliations | Republican Left of Catalonia–Sovereigntists |
| Alma mater | |
Early life
editDantas was born on 21 May 1969 in Aracaju in north-eastern Brazil.[1][2] She is the daughter of a merchant and a nurse.[2][3] She has a degree in law from the Federal University of Sergipe.[3][4] She was a student of Carlos Ayres Britto at the university.[5]
Dantas worked as a deputy delegate for the civil police in Sergipe.[2][6]
Career
editDantas migrated to Spain in 1994 in order to study environmental law.[2][6] She was an undocumented migrant and worked in various jobs over 15 years – as a maid, nanny, old age carer, dog walker, waitress and Portuguese teacher.[2][6] She would clean toilets after attending doctorate classes.[2][3] She later worked as an administrative assistant for a finance company.[7] She is a naturalised Spanish citizen.[3][8]
Soon after arriving in Spain Dantas became an activist against xenophobia, racism, fascism and homophobia and supporting immigration and human rights.[4] She is a member of Unity Against Fascism and Racism (Unitat Contra el Feixisme i el Racisme) and is a member of the boards of Centre Internacional Escarré per a les Minories Ètniques i Nacionals (CIEMEN) and Confederació d’Associacions Veïnals de Catalunya (CONFAVC).[9] Her activism has led to death threats from supporters of Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.[4]
Dantas contested the 2019 general election as a Republican Left of Catalonia–Sovereigntists electoral alliance candidate in the Province of Barcelona and was elected to the Congress of Deputies.[10][11]
Personal life
editDantas has a son, Thiago Lee, from a marriage when she was living in Brazil.[12] She also has two daughters born in Barcelona, Victoria and Natalia, from a second relationship to a Brazilian.[6][12]
Electoral history
edit| Election | Constituency | Party | Alliance | No. | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 general[10][11] | Province of Barcelona | Republican Left of Catalonia | Republican Left of Catalonia–Sovereigntists | 18 | Elected | ||
References
edit- ^ "Members: XIII Legislatura ( 2019-Actualidad) - Carvalho Dantas, María" (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Congress of Deputies. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sergipana é eleita deputada no Parlamento espanhol". O Globo (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Maria Dantas: primeira brasileira eleita para o Parlamento Espanhol". Uirauna.net (in Portuguese). Uirauna, Brazil. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c Calixto, Bruno (16 May 2019). "A sergipana que virou deputada na Espanha". Época (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ Barreto, Leonardo (30 April 2019). ""Eu sou o que sou e devo a minha terra, as minhas raízes", diz sergipana eleita na Europa". FAN F1 (in Portuguese). Aracaju, Brazil. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d "María Carvalho Dantas, la primera brasileña en llegar al Congreso español". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona, Spain. EFE. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Sergipana se elege deputada na Espanha por partido a favor da Catalunha independente". Hora News (in Portuguese). 29 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Lei da imigração é 'assassina', diz brasileira eleita para o parlamento espanhol". Rede Brasil Atual (in Portuguese). São Paulo, Brazil. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Va de Llibertat: Maria das Graças Carvalho Dantas" (in Catalan). Barcelona, Spain: Republican Left of Catalonia. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Otras Disposiciones: Junta Electoral Central – Elecciones generales. Proclamación de candidaturas" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). No. 79. Madrid, Spain: Government of Spain. 2 April 2019. p. 34228. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Otras Disposiciones: Junta Electoral Central – Elecciones generales. Resultados" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). No. 129. Madrid, Spain: Government of Spain. 30 May 2019. p. 57375. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Filha de comerciante e enfermeira é a 1ª brasileira no Parlamento espanhol". Aracaju News / O Globo (in Portuguese). Aracaju, Brazil. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.