Video Shows Pernambuco Governor Saying ‘Do It Without Her Knowing’ About Sterilization

Overview

• A short video recorded in May 2025 and published Sunday shows Governor Raquel Lyra telling others to put a woman on a waitlist for a laqueadura and to “do it without her knowing,” prompting immediate public outcry.
• Lyra apologized on social media and through her campaign, calling the comment "equivocated" and saying the footage is old while reaffirming support for women’s access to family planning.
• Legal experts and OAB lawyers said performing sterilization without written, informed consent is a crime under Brazil’s family‑planning law and carries two to eight years in prison plus a fine.
• Reporters asked Hospital Regional Dom Moura and the Pernambuco State Health Secretariat whether the woman in the video is a patient or staff member and whether a procedure occurred but received no response by the latest reports.
• The case has led to protests and to calls for investigations at the regional medical council and by prosecutors, and it highlights legal safeguards such as the 60‑day waiting rule, age and parity requirements, and the need for written patient consent.