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Arthur do Val: Outrage as Brazilian pol calls fleeing Ukrainian women 'easy' and 'goddesses'

The Brazilian politician is facing calls to resign after he described fleeing Ukrainian women as 'easy' during a purportedly humanitarian mission to Ukraine

A right-wing Brazilian politician is facing calls to resign after he described fleeing Ukrainian women as "easy" and "total goddesses" during a purportedly humanitarian mission to the war-ravaged nation. São Paulo Congressman Arthur do Val, 35, was on a three-day trip to Ukraine last week to witness the devastation of the war first-hand and raise awareness about the plight of Ukrainians.

Do Val, 35, on Thursday, March 3, shared a photograph of himself surrounded by crates of Molotov cocktails in the border city of Uzhhorod. His traveling partner Renan Santos tweeted that they had donated thousands of dollars, helped refugees cross the border, and "filmed the reality of a country at war." This commendable act was condemned shortly after Brazilian media leaked secret recordings in which Do Val made vile comments about the Ukrainian refugees on Friday, March 4. 

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In one recording, the politician said, "I’ve just crossed the border on foot between Ukraine and Slovakia. Bro, I swear to you … I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of beautiful girls. The refugee queue … it’s like 200 meters long or more of just total goddesses." He added, "It’s some incredible s**t … the queue outside Brazil’s best nightclub … doesn’t come close to the refugee queue here." In a second excerpt, Do Val said, "Let me tell you, they're easy because they're poor."

He also made degrading remarks about female security guards at the border of Ukraine and Slovakia before adding, "Just unbelievable, dude. As soon as this war’s over, I’m coming back."

The comments sparked revulsion with more than 56,000 people signing an online petition demanding Do Val's expulsion from the Brazilian parliament. Fabiana Tronenko, the wife of Ukraine’s former ambassador to Brazil, called out the politician by saying, "Show some respect, you punk ....you've no idea what the Ukrainian people are going through."

Do Val, who returned to Brazil on Saturday, March 5, apologized and sought to justify his words. He claimed he had become "over-excited" after three days "without drinking water or having a shower." He added, "My mind was racing. I talked nonsense." Critics were, however, unimpressed with his apology. Gleisi Hoffmann, President of Brazil's Worker's Party, tweeted, "How nauseating. This is the kind of person who elected Bolsonaro! He must be stripped of power."