Duda Salabert, a federal deputy from Brazil’s Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL, in Spanish), and her aide Felipe Correia de Souza Pereira Gomes were assaulted while investigating illegal mining activities in Minas Gerais.
The federal Deputy Duda Salabert during a press conference denounced being a victim of an attempted murder in the morning of this Friday, while participating in an inspection operation in a possible illegal mining area. The incident occurred in Nova Lima, near the border between Belo Horizonte and Nova Lima in Minas Gerais.
Salabert, a member of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) representing Minas Gerais, was reportedly filming suspicious activity at the site when she was attacked by unidentified men. Her aide, Felipe Gomes, who is currently running for a seat in the Minas Gerais state legislature, was with her at the time and was also assaulted.
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According to the account given by her team, the suspects initially approached the pair as they began recording video, walked past them, and then returned. Fearing they were about to be confronted, Salabert and Gomes tried to escape down a slope but fell and were caught by their attackers. One of the men restrained Gomes while another seized his phone and threw it aside; Gomes was then kicked in the head and other parts of his body.
Salabert was also confronted and assaulted, with her phone likewise taken and discarded nearby before the attackers fled. The two eventually made it to a nearby facility belonging to state water utility Copasa, where they sought help and alerted police. A police report reportedly classified the incident as bodily harm, according to local newspaper O Tempo.
“POR QUE VOCÊ INSISTE NISSO?”
Duda Salabert denuncia agressões e tentativa de homicídio durante fiscalização contra mineração ilegal em Minas Gerais pic.twitter.com/NcYc9feBpc— Mídia NINJA (@MidiaNINJA) September 4, 2026
Injuries, Ongoing Search
Salabert was treated at a hospital in Nova Lima for abrasions and a dislocated shoulder. Military police carried out searches in the surrounding area, but the suspects had not been located.
The lawmaker, who has built part of her legislative agenda around environmental issues -she authored legislation establishing April 27 as National Day for Climate Action- was reportedly participating in an oversight operation targeting suspected irregular ore extraction when the attack occurred.
The case adds to a string of recent incidents involving threats or violence against Brazilian public officials, particularly those involved in oversight of environmental and mining activity in Minas Gerais, a state whose economy is heavily tied to the mining sector and which has seen repeated tensions between environmental regulators and illegal extraction operations.
Deputada Duda Salabert (PSOL-MG) denuncia ter sido vítima de tentativa de homicídio.
Deputada federal fiscalizava extração ilegal de minério quando foi atacada por três homens, na divisa de Belo Horizonte com o município de Nova Lima. pic.twitter.com/grO8R6pe3Q
— Eixo Político (@eixopolitico) September 4, 2026
The Brazilian government and international communities have expressed solidarity with Salabert and her aide, condemning the violent attack and calling for a thorough investigation. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in environmental and legal enforcement, particularly in areas where illegal mining thrives.
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