Let's Talk Local Podcast | Brazil’s ‘Ousted Misogyny Law’: Outrage, Profit, and Why Smart Money Sees Opportunity

00:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It's becoming more and more clear how events around the world hit close to home, whether it's rising gas prices or global instability. What happens overseas doesn't stay there. We're all connected through governments, economies, and supply chains in ways we see every day and in ways we don't always recognize. Today, I'm joined by Ana Campagnolo, a state deputy from Santa Catarina, Brazil. At just 35 years old, she's already making a significant impact in the Brazilian government.

00:26

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I'm looking forward to talking with her about Brazil's business climate, the shifting political landscape across Latin America, and what it means for us here at home. With firsthand insight into so much of what we're seeing unfold globally, this is a conversation you won't wanna miss. Ana Campagnolo, I'm so grateful to you for being here and for traveling from Brazil to meet with me here in Texas.

01:01

Ana Campagnolo

The joy is all ours to be here, especially because our state, Santa Catarina, is nicknamed the Brazilian Texas. So being here in such a wonderful place with such special people is truly an honor.

01:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I've heard that as well, and I know that it's one of the most economically productive and culturally cohesive spaces in Brazil, which is why I was very excited to meet with you.

01:28

Ana Campagnolo

Certainly, our state, in addition to being one of the ones that stands out economically despite the losses related to tax distribution and the limited return we receive compared to what we send to Brasilia and the federal government, Even so, our state is truly impressive in its development indicators, tourism, economy, agribusiness, and exports. And being able to speak with someone who is interested not only in visiting, but also in investing in Brazil is a joy for all of us. We are proud of our numbers. The figures from Santa Catarina especially set it apart from all the other Brazilian states.

02:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's wonderful. And I also know that you've become one of the leading conservative voices in the Brazilian movement. Would you tell our viewers and listeners a little bit about your faith system, your values, and who you are?

02:23

Ana Campagnolo

Our state truly is the most conservative state in Brazil. This is one of our defining characteristics. Brazil itself is a conservative country. We are widely recognized for having the largest Catholic population, the most Catholic people in the world. We also have significant growth among evangelicals.

02:41

Ana Campagnolo

Within Congress, we have a very active evangelical caucus and a gospel caucus that represent values such as the defense of life against abortion, the preservation of the family, and the importance of family in maintaining both economic and social values, always connecting religion and politics. We know that this relationship between religion and politics is heavily opposed and often criticized around the world. But in Santa Catarina and in Brazil, we on the right conservatives have been building this connection and strengthening this relationship. And within this context, we are proud to be the most conservative state deputy, the only right wing woman in the Santa Catarina parliament, with five books written against the feminist movement, not against women, but against this movement that undermines women's achievements and erodes their values, replacing them with progressive ideological proposals. So we are very proud to represent this conservative audience within the most conservative state of a country that, at its core, also has a conservative spirit.

03:45

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. This is wonderful. And in looking at not just who you are as a leader, I've seen you compared even to our United States based Candace Owens. Is that someone that you believe that you identify with?

04:02

Ana Campagnolo

I identify with some American figures who have taken part in this fight against the feminist movement, some even from the past, such as the very well known Phyllis Schlafly and eventually even Sarah Palin. More recently, books published here in The United States have been very important for my work in Brazil, such as the works of Carrie Gress. There are countless women who have served as influences for us to begin an anti feminist movement in Brazil. The United States is truly much more advanced, far ahead of us in this regard. In fact, as soon as the feminist movement emerged in The US, the anti feminist movement also emerged, Whereas in Brazil, it took decades for that to happen.

04:48

Ana Campagnolo

So, yes, American women are, in many ways, a model for us Brazilian women. And I would like to say that I identify with Ivanka Trump because she is very beautiful. But intellectually speaking, I really admire the work I just mentioned. We actually had a conversation with her recently. She produces content in the same direction as what I have been producing in Brazil, showing that the feminist movement is destroying the image of women and also showing that it is incompatible with religious women.

05:20

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. I I like that comparison a lot more, but I had read extensively that people did call you like a Brazilian Candace Owens, so I wanted your perspective on that. I look at different regions around the world like Portugal, areas along the Amalfi Coast, The Philippines, Croatia, areas of Greece, and these are all very heavily Christian and Catholic populated areas. But I believe your particular region as a whole boasts anywhere from 90 plus percent from the Christian base. Is that correct?

06:02

Ana Campagnolo

The latest official data from Brazil shows that we have 85% Christians in the country with a fairly similar proportion between Catholics and evangelicals. By contrast, for example, in Portugal, evangelicals make up only about 1% of the population. But in Brazil, there are some unique characteristics. Although it is historically a Catholic country, in politics, evangelicals, Protestants have been more active, and we have this combination that works very well. A Catholic cultural foundation with evangelical political engagement.

06:39

Ana Campagnolo

In Brazil, these groups are quite aligned when you look at it from a political perspective, and this should have even more influence on public policy. But, unfortunately, there is also a very active left wing movement that insists religion should be kept out of politics. And, clearly, we, Christians, both Catholics and evangelicals, do not agree with this left wing approach. To counter this left wing thinking that tries to push religious people out of politics, we have been proposing right wing public policies, policies that defend religion. For example, just last month, we passed a law that prohibits activists, artists, and left wing demonstrators from hanging or mocking Christian symbols, such as the bible, crucifixes, rosaries, and other sacred images of our faith at public events.

07:32

Ana Campagnolo

And this law that we recently passed not only imposes fines but also makes it more difficult to obtain permits for future public events if there are incidents that directly attack the Christian faith. So in Brazil, I take pride in being very active in defending the Christian religion within politics. And it's important to mention this here in The United States because Brazil tends to be quick to import American ideas but much slower to adopt the good ones. We've seen here in The United States and we've followed the actions of radical feminist groups such as femin, opposing Trump, opposing the right, opposing Christians, and supporting abortion. And these ideas, which often begin here, are quickly imported into Brazil.

08:19

Ana Campagnolo

Meanwhile, the good ideas take much longer to arrive.

08:23

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. Similarly, within The United States, there are so many of my friends who have faith but who vote differently than I do, who are part of the left movement. And that's clearly the case in Brazil since such a large percentage of Brazil is Christian Catholic by nature and by declaration. However, they are still voting differently than you vote. What percentage of your voter base do you believe was part of the send movement that originated, I believe in Sao Paulo and has it expanded beyond that?

09:09

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Do you find that your base is exceptionally prayerful?

09:13

Ana Campagnolo

And, unfortunately, what you describe happening with your friends also happens with mine. As we said, we have a country that is essentially entirely Christian, yet half of the population votes for the left and half votes for the right. How can that be explained? In Brazil's case, there is a historical and sociological explanation largely rooted in the infiltration of communists into the pastoral structures of the Catholic church and also into evangelical circles. So this is not happening by chance in Brazil.

09:45

Ana Campagnolo

This has been a strategy for several decades where the left infiltrates religion and the Catholic church in order to try to link left wing ideals with Christianity, such as social justice, charity, and helping the poor, the vulnerable, and the oppressed. They appropriate these causes, distort them, and turn them into Marxist agendas, attempting to create a combination of Marx and Jesus Christ, which, of course, we strongly reject. But there is also a very significant difference. Perhaps my analysis is somewhat superficial, but still, a substantial difference between what happens in The United States and in Brazil. In Brazil, the resurgence of the rite in recent decades has been closely tied to religiosity.

10:33

Ana Campagnolo

A new right emerged from within religious communities. In contrast, in The United States, what we observe is a more strictly political clash between the right and the left, one that is, in many ways, more mature, more technical, and more political in nature. Perhaps American Christians could incorporate more religious elements into their political agendas so that other religious people would feel more encouraged to participate in politics as well. This movement we see in Brazil, a very close relationship between religiosity and politics, I don't see it happening in the same way in The United States. I can't say whether that is good or bad, but there is definitely a distinction at this point between the two.

11:17

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's exactly right. As evil forces begin to descend among our world, I believe that the spiritual aspect of every country that has strong faith and Christian specifically in denomination representation has to unite. And there is division in The United States, particularly to your point within the right. There's division within the left. There's division everywhere because it is part of a greater plan, which I know you thoroughly understand with your education and history.

12:03

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You understand how communism, Marxism has infiltrated the political systems, the religious systems, and through prayer, which I am am more con I'm very confident that prayer exists more strongly in Brazil than it does right now in The United States. So what I hope our viewers and listeners leave with after this conversation is a desire to combat what we are facing with prayer at the center.

12:42

Ana Campagnolo

Yes. Absolutely. I agree that there is a spiritual aspect behind everything we do in the economy, in the arts, and in politics as well. And I also see what you pointed out. I think many people, many Christians involved in politics fail to recognize that there is also a kind of spiritual, even demonic influence at work in certain causes and agendas.

13:05

Ana Campagnolo

I completely agree with that, and I believe that we can strengthen a generation spiritually so that it becomes stronger politically. In fact, Brazil has become a kind of exporter of evangelical and Catholic missionaries to Europe. For example, regions that once colonized Brazil are now receiving influence and inspiration, both political and religious, from Brazilians. So there has been a kind of exchange. And I believe Brazil is also going through a positive moment where younger generations are more conservative than previous ones.

13:41

Ana Campagnolo

Is there a resurgence of the right or an increase in the number of Catholics and evangelicals who are more engaged in politics? I'm not sure how this is happening in The United States, but I would love to hear from you, Sarah, whether you also feel that there is a kind of religious and political awakening here or not? I'd really like to understand that as well.

14:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

There is most certainly a religious and political coexistence that is matriculating throughout our country that has not happened in generations. And I do believe that many of my fellow congressmen and congresswomen, fellow senators and people beyond that in the, I'm speaking federally and also at the state level. They have delved deeper into their faith in ways that was not once discussed. My brother-in-law, Matt Bennett started Christian Union, which is a ministry at all of the Ivy Leagues in the country and across the world. And he has worked specifically with several country leaders who've matriculated through Christian Union.

15:06

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And now as part of his ministry, he works a lot in deliverance. And as you've seen, I'm sure even in the Catholic sphere, the Pope is speaking much more extensively about the need for training of exorcists across the world because there is a rise in evil. There's a rise in witchcraft. There is a rise in spiritual forces around the world. So there's usually a balance that coexists from what I've learned and what I've observed, not just within The United States but across the world.

15:47

Ana Campagnolo

I think Charlie Kirk was a figure who really represented this connection between religion and politics and perhaps what happened to him, what happened may have reignited that as well, or maybe not. Perhaps it did, but he did represent that union between politics and religion quite well, or am I mistaken?

16:06

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Most definitely. Charlie Kirk, I believe died as somewhat of not just a political and religious figure, but some claim even as somewhat of a martyr. But he represents part of a greater movement across the world, most certainly. And what we are experiencing here, especially in some of our larger states like Texas is a rise in Islam belief, Islamic belief. I don't read that that is something that Brazil is, I don't wanna say struggling with, is experiencing.

16:52

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I don't believe that that's something that Brazil is experiencing at this point in time. Am I wrong about that?

16:58

Ana Campagnolo

No. In fact, The United States has a much more critical perspective. Americans tend to view the growth of Islam more critically because historically, there have been wars and conflicts, this long standing tension between Islam, Islamic terrorism, and American politics. But in Brazil, unfortunately, most people are still not paying attention to this issue, which I do believe is a real problem. The growth of Islam is seen as a challenge to the West.

17:26

Ana Campagnolo

It is seen as a challenge to liberal democracy. It should be a concern for Brazilians as it perhaps is for Americans, but it isn't. In fact, recently, we've seen government officials, including state governors, encouraging or considering ways to promote or support the culture and well-being of Muslim immigrants in our country? And, unfortunately, I see that Americans are more aware of this issue than Brazilians who tend to view it as something distant. But I do agree with you when you say that Islam is growing much more here than in Brazil.

18:02

Ana Campagnolo

Brazil does not seem to be a major destination for immigration from the Islamic world. So in that sense, Brazil does appear to be much more removed from the influence and introduction of Muslim culture than The United States. So not everything is a disadvantage. There are still many good things about living in Brazil. I think it's important to mention that this issue also reminds us and reinforces that it is important to keep Christian values connected to political discussions.

18:34

Ana Campagnolo

This is especially relevant because we know that the Islamic community has significant investment capacity. They are strong negotiators, part of the global elite, and have substantial resources to invest. But a conservative must understand that the economy is not everything and that economic benefits should not be traded for major spiritual or cultural losses. In principle, a conservative should recognize this. Even while defending economic freedom, the free market, and capitalism, there is still a hierarchy of values.

19:08

Ana Campagnolo

And if you remove the religious element, the element of faith, the Christian element from politics, that hierarchy becomes unclear. As a result, many countries or states may begin to believe that it is worth exchanging large scale economic investment for the deterioration of certain Western or Christian values they hold. And that is why we should aim for the best of both worlds, ensuring that Christians are present in the global elite, in the economic leadership of both the country and the world, that our investors are Christians, that our influencers are Christians, that our elites are Christian, that our artists are Christian. In other words, that Christians move beyond the confines of churches and purely missionary or theological work and begin to occupy all areas of society so that states like Santa Catarina, which have many values to preserve, can attract more funding, more investors, and more business leaders who are also Christian. In that way, we do not have to pay the price of achieving greater economic success at the cost of spiritual or cultural loss.

20:21

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I agree. And one of the main points that I continue to make from an investment perspective and future possible expansion spaces is to ensure that places that are even remotely in consideration for investment. Places like where you represent the Santa Catarina region, Florianopolis to be exact. I would love if you would describe some of the aspects and elements in that particular area for people such as myself who have never been there. I know that my daughter is going to be competing in cheerleading in that area later this year in November.

21:08

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And so I would love to hear from you a little bit about this beautiful place.

21:14

Ana Campagnolo

It will certainly be a joy for our state, for our country as well, but especially for Santa Catarina to welcome investors and to receive the influence of people like your family. It will truly be a joy for all of us, and it is a double benefit, both an economic benefit and a spiritual one. And what's most important to consider in this conversation is how much Santa Catarina has been growing, especially from a tourism standpoint, but also in terms of our human development indicators while other states are losing population. Santa Catarina is the state that has received the most migrants, internal migrants. Approximately half a million people have moved to our state in recent years.

21:58

Ana Campagnolo

We truly offer a very fertile environment for investors and for the economy. An example of this is what our governor has been doing in relation to tourism. A region with a coastline as extensive as Santa Catarina has always focused on beach tourism and summer tourism. But now our governor has expanded tourism efforts to all four seasons of the year. In addition, we have natural beauty comparable to Rio De Janeiro, but with safety levels comparable to Switzerland.

22:30

Ana Campagnolo

We have cities that can be considered German cities, Italian cities, Azorian cities. So there is something for every preference from rural tourism to beach tourism. Our state truly is a kind of promised land for those who want to invest.

22:46

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. I cannot wait to visit. My husband and I had a trip planned several years ago and we were going with a bunch of friends and somehow it fell through. But the reason that I mentioned the importance of uniting with people who are like minded, just in Brazil, but in these other regions like Italy along the Amalfi Coast, Croatia, Poland, Greece, The Philippines, these strongholds must in some way in my mind unite, not just from allowing global elite to rise from these regions, but for investors, for business persons to unite so that we have a place to go should we need to. We live in a very different time in our world.

23:51

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And because of that, if we are not able or allowed to transact And the way that business is conducted in general changes in our lifetime or in our children's lifetime. I would certainly love and envision a place where globalism can exist within these particular spaces that are Christian strongholds. Exactly.

24:21

Ana Campagnolo

And when we look at the church that Christ sought to establish, it was a church that transcended nations and ethnicities. Jesus moved away from the distinctions that existed in the Old Testament, distinctions based on ethnicity, race, and gender. In fact, one of the most beautiful passages from the apostle Paul says that in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. That is, it does not matter where you come from or what your origin is. There is something in common, something that every Christian can share.

24:54

Ana Campagnolo

Even the origin of the word Catholic means universal. Our faith was designed to be universal, and this universal faith respects local cultures. It is not a religion that undermines or destroys regional identities, but one that respects them as long as we are speaking about cultures that do not violate moral principles. So it is possible to imagine a Christianity in which everyone shares the same faith in the same Christ, yet with completely different cultures, such as the cultures of Croatia or Germany. And I especially appreciate Santa Catarina because despite all the scientific and technological advancements and despite being well positioned in terms of globalization, not globalism, despite being well integrated into globalization, our state still preserves small towns and mid sized cities where religious values, and I would even say national values, brought by immigrants are still maintained.

25:56

Ana Campagnolo

That would be the best of both worlds. It would be ideal if we could achieve this kind of balance, if regions and cities could have their traditions and cultures respected, while what unites us is a shared Christian identity. Unfortunately, alongside globalization comes what we now call globalism, a push to level out values by suppressing religious and cultural ones and imposing from the top down new values, such as those tied to a disregard for life, pro abortion values, and gender theory. For example, the woke agenda.

26:34

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I agree. And I've also read it pretty extensively that there's been an effort as well in Brazil, similarly to that that's happening in The United States with respect to censorship. And I'm not entirely sure if this is true or untrue, but I'm interested in your perspective that particular political figures, perhaps even some journalists have had to flee due to particular pressures. I haven't seen specific names tied in with those examples, but could you speak a little bit about what you believe to be the accurate story there?

27:25

Ana Campagnolo

It is very likely, unfortunately, that you have heard much less than what is actually happening. The situation in Brazil is far worse than what has reached public opinion or been reported by the international media. To begin with, we have a federal congressman who was arrested for using a few insults against a Supreme Court justice. We also have a special adviser to former president Bolsonaro, Felipe Martins, who is imprisoned on the accusation that he traveled somewhere he never went and for allegedly drafting a coup document for a coup that never happened. So, yes, we have journalists who have fled, ordinary citizens who have fled.

28:08

Ana Campagnolo

We have elderly women, mothers, housewives imprisoned for having participated in a coup that did not exist. So, yes, we have many people being censored. We have people being unjustly imprisoned, including the former president of the republic, Yair Bolsonaro, and his special adviser, Felipe Martins. And beyond these unjust imprisonments affecting perhaps 1,500, 2,000, or even 3,000 people, what is also happening in Brazil is a kind of suppression of true freedom of expression, conscience, and belief. Brazilians are already living in a phase of self censorship where certain truths cannot be spoken.

28:56

Ana Campagnolo

One example of this is that we have a transgender congressperson, a man who identifies as a woman, suing and targeting biological women who do not recognize him as a woman. We also have a former presidential candidate, now deceased, who in 2014 was prosecuted for saying that the excretory system does not reproduce. So we are living in a country where biblical and religious truths can no longer be freely expressed. There is political persecution as well as religious persecution and an erosion of freedom of conscience, belief, and expression. It is also worth noting that elements of the American elite have in some way contributed to this through foundations such as Rockefeller, Ford, and George Soros participating in the weakening of these values and rights.

29:49

Ana Campagnolo

Of course, this is not the fault of American society as a whole, but rather of certain highly influential actors who came from The United States. On the other hand, there are also American authors and public figures who are trying to expose these issues, such as postfeminists, Christina Hoff Sommers and Camille Paglia, who denounce these violations of freedom of expression and have shown, for example, that feminism has gone beyond all limits and is now undermining rights. Another Brazilian example of these developments is a law recently passed by the senate called the misogyny law. Under a strict interpretation of this law, we would no longer be able to speak about the role of women as described by the apostle Paul, the gospel, or even the old testament. We would no longer be able to preach the word of God regarding the roles, responsibilities, and functions of women in the home and in marriage because this could be classified as an offence against women.

30:55

Ana Campagnolo

According to this recently approved Senate law, the so called misogyny law, this would be the case. So we are living not only under a real and physical form of persecution where people are imprisoned, but also under a spiritual, ideological, and political persecution.

31:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. I was I was actually going to ask for a little bit of clarification there because my next question is about your book, is about feminism and anti feminism, a baseline understanding of that because we're overreaching on this side. I'll go into that in a minute. But, yes, I would love some clarification there.

31:38

Ana Campagnolo

In the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians in chapter five, the apostle offers a reinterpretation of Roman law, speaking about the responsibilities of each member of the family. He addresses servants, children, husbands and wives. In this passage, Ephesians chapter five, the Bible says that a wife should submit to the authority of her husband within marriage. This is very important because the Bible does not say that all women should submit to all men, but only that within this voluntary agreement, this intimate agreement between husband and wife, there should be a certain submission on the part of the woman, and likewise, there should be a certain authority on the part of the man along with a willingness to carry out that responsibility, even to the point of giving his life or spending his entire life protecting everyone within that household, his wife and children. Now speaking openly about this is no longer possible with the approval of the so called misogyny law because it can be interpreted as speech that demeans, offends, or psychologically harms women.

32:46

Ana Campagnolo

The major problem with this law is precisely the difficulty of defining, in concrete and objective terms, what misogyny actually is. Because in a law where anything can be considered a crime, the real intention is not to prevent crime, but to enable the persecution of anyone who is seen as an opponent of the system. With the approval of the misogyny law, anyone who displeases the feminist elite or the left wing elite can be prosecuted. This can lead to legal expenses, stress, and even a prison sentence of two to five years. In practice, the law prevents anti feminist speech, and in the end, it restricts the ability for right wing and Christian ideas to be clearly expressed.

33:31

Ana Campagnolo

It creates a limitation on speech and represents one of the most serious laws in Brazil in the sense that, for the first time, it introduces a form of prior restraint, preventing certain religious truths or key elements of a right wing worldview from being expressed. Given the seriousness of all this, we have been working very actively, even here, speaking internationally, about this issue. This law has been approved in the senate and still requires approval from the other legislative bodies in Brazil. However, considering that there was unanimous approval among senators in this first stage, it raises serious concern about the risk of this law becoming fully enacted in Brazil. In some ways, this kind of monitoring and persecution already exists.

34:21

Ana Campagnolo

Even without the law, it is happening. But with the law, it would become formalized.

34:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

This is outrageous. It's outrageous. Every day, every night, when my children are in my home, I pray that my daughter is a Proverbs 31 woman and I pray that my son find a Proverbs 31 woman. I used to be a staunch feminist myself, and after a lot of healing, growing in holiness and growing my own self as a person, I've drastically changed. Voices within The United States who are pro anti feminism are going as far as making statements like stating that women should no longer vote, have the right to vote because statistics show that women in particular, Caucasian women are primarily responsible for voting in ways that are leading to our country's demise.

35:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's clearly not your stance as a political figure yourself. You are not pro women losing the right to vote, but that is very dangerous what was just passed. And that's frightening. You wrote a very powerful book. It's not a long book, but it's a powerful book commenting on these particular structures.

36:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Are you at all afraid about being persecuted and should you be persecuted? Is that something that you're prepared to fight against? If so, how?

36:14

Ana Campagnolo

Actually, yes. I have been persecuted many times. In fact, the first book I published, became a Brazilian bestseller and sold 150,000 copies, which is a lot for a country that doesn't read much. In that first book, even before it, I tried to pursue my undergraduate studies and build an academic career, and I was prevented. I was persecuted in Brazil from pursuing this academic path and had to do all of my work independently.

36:44

Ana Campagnolo

Today, are five books that we have published in Brazil about the feminist movement, some that talk about the history of the movement, how it was consolidated, and how it became this harmful movement that today is most recently addressed in a book called The Feminist Hydra. In it, we show how the feminist movement acts politically from the two thousands onward, passing its projects regardless of the interests of ordinary women. But, yes, you spoke very well. There are also many caricatures around what a feminist is and around what an antifeminist is. And there are indeed misogynistic movements that defend, for example, the inferiority of women and that say that women should lose the right to vote.

37:31

Ana Campagnolo

And although there were anti women's suffrage movements in the past that made sense in that historical context, it is no longer conservative to talk about that. The main reason is that conservatism is not a movement against change, but rather a movement that carries out change prudently. One of the significant changes that happened in America, in South America, was the introduction of women's voting rights. And over time, it was shown that this vote was not a unifying force for the family. There are other elements that do, in fact, unify a family, but the truth is that there are caricatures about what a conservative woman should be.

38:11

Ana Campagnolo

And these expressions, these misleading caricatures, false caricatures, not contribute to strengthening conservatism but often drive away women who should be with us. I have indeed been very persecuted by the feminist movement. I still am today, with death threats, insults and offenses directed both at me and at my daughters, as happened when I was with a seven day old baby and went to work, and I was heavily attacked even in the presence of my daughters. So there is an important dichotomy to make, an important distinction. One thing is the struggle for the dignity of women, which both conservatives and Christians and anyone with common sense can participate in.

38:52

Ana Campagnolo

Another thing is the feminist movement, which is a progressive left wing movement that uses women for another purpose as an agenda, or the gay agenda, or any other similar purpose. In understanding this dichotomy, this difference between being a feminist and fighting for the recognition of women's rights is essential because the feminist movement today promotes the idea that no woman can be interested in her rights or take a religious, intellectual, or economic position unless she is linked to the feminist movement. This is a false idea because most of the transformations that brought women into the labor market or women into politics came through the relevant action of conservatives themselves or the conservative party. For example, women's suffrage in England came through the conservative party, and women's suffrage in The United States came through the action of the Republican Party. In fact, the largest women's suffrage movement here in The United States was a religious movement.

39:55

Ana Campagnolo

Perhaps the most significant women's movement in history was precisely that religious movement from the past. So feminists appropriate many of the changes that were either natural, economic, or the result of some social transformation, and claim that everything women have, we owe to them. Refuting these ideas is precisely one of the main subjects of my books, and one of them has been published in English, Feminism, Perversion, and Subversion. It is the only book we have translated into English. It is available on Amazon, in fact.

40:29

Ana Campagnolo

And we carry out this historical review showing that no woman is obliged to be a feminist.

40:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I can't wait to read that book, the one that you have available in English. But I've explained to my children, especially my son, that he will be persecuted in this life for his beliefs as will my daughter, as will I. And there will be severe repercussions for how boldly we are willing to stand. I am willing to die for my faith and endure torture. And I pray that they have the courage to do the same.

41:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Especially when it comes to a woman, there was this altered idea and understanding of what I believed a woman should be. I was raised in a household and in a family who were staunch Democrats. And I always believed that I should be the breadwinner and the the largest income earner in a household because I had the aptitude and capability of doing so. And only recently have I been able to understand the power of a true Proverbs 31 woman. While I'm still a strong investor, I guide my husband's investments personally and within the company extensively, I believe that there must be more dialogue surrounding what that looks like for women who are capable, intelligent, loving, who want to be mothers and how there is a possibility in a world in which both can coexist.

42:25

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

But I would love to have a follow-up conversation with you after I read your book to understand more about your perspectives. And I am sorry, deeply sorry for the struggles and the suffering that you and your family and even your beautiful daughters have had to endure. I'm sure your husband. If I toggle over just one last more time to doing business in, let's say the Santa Catarina region. If there are these particular type of hurdles everywhere in the world, right, that that I understand you understand.

43:09

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Can you shed some advice on our viewers and listeners as to how business persons, how people just traveling with their family can equip themselves when entering into your particular area with these new type of political difficulties that I guess are now present there and this applies everywhere in the world, but particularly in your region.

43:43

Ana Campagnolo

It was. It was very good to hear you talk about this transformation that you yourself went through, that you yourself faced, including leaving the feminist movement to understand all the potential of a woman even outside the feminist movement. I would even like to add reference to an American writer named Jonathan Reed, and he talks about how the right wing woman or the conservative person tends to be, in fact, much freer than those who are progressive, who are seeking a false sense of freedom. We, right wing women, conservative women, have more freedom to invest, more freedom to use resources because we do not feel that we are constantly fighting against men, against sexism, against patriarchy. We do not have a mentality of constant oppression, a dualistic mentality inherited from Marxism, and because of that, we women Jonathan would say this right wing women, conservative women, have more psychological capacity to become successful investors and influencers than left wing women themselves, who, in theory, would be pursuing all of this.

44:55

Ana Campagnolo

Now, this last question is very interesting because, despite all this cultural panorama that sometimes seems to show that Brazil is a dangerous country to live in from an ideological and political point of view, economically speaking, Santa Catarina is truly an oasis within Brazil. And if there are any precautions to be taken regarding investment in the state of Santa Catarina, it is the caution of going once, falling in love, and never wanting to return to your country of origin. It is truly a very beautiful place, but the people in Santa Catarina are very hardworking, and they don't like to feel that their way of life is being attacked. And I think this is a feeling that we even share with American Texans. We are quite traditional in our celebrations, in our way of living day to day, and we like to be respected by investors.

45:50

Ana Campagnolo

And I am sure that precisely because you are Christian investors, this will not be difficulty. Every Christian carries within themselves this sense of respect and love for others as the second most fundamental commandment that Jesus Christ left us. So Santa Catarina is a diverse region. We have agribusiness, livestock farming, textile industry, technology. We have small cities that are technological hubs and large cities whose focus is agriculture.

46:21

Ana Campagnolo

So there is a great deal of diversity. There is also space for investment in tourism, in the hotel sector, certainly in resorts and theme parks. All of this is welcome in our state. We are a state that gives back the investors' goodwill. We return the investors' resources with care, with security, and with a very pleasant, beautiful, and comfortable place to live, and are hardworking people, and honest people, and the least violent and most hardworking people in Brazil.

46:52

Ana Campagnolo

So certainly, any investment will be welcome, and the only caution is truly not to fall in love with the state, definitely. And last but not least, as a state representative and a very close friend of the governor that I am, it will always be a joy for me to facilitate a conversation between American investors and the government of the state of Santa Catarina. An official conversation, a formal conversation, and a way to speed up, facilitate, and catalyze any type of investment that will make our state an even greater state.

47:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes, that's terrific. Thank you so much. I've personally looked at investments within your area. I know you have wonderful companies headquartered there, Compagnolo Ering, Ering, it's Herring. Herring, yes.

47:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Herring. And then the Sierra Alimentos, and I love the retail aspect of them, but they're also wonderfully run businesses. And I'm clearly familiar with that particular space since that's where I've been leaning more recently in terms of a cohesive brand. I'm very excited about looking at your particular area and visiting your area. Perhaps we can garner even a visit with governor Abbott.

48:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

He is a friend and someone who I believe would, would very much enjoy a trip down there. I appreciate your insights on your area, your country, and also the shared perspectives that we here in The United States are also experiencing. They're not easy. They're not delightful. Some of them are painful stories, but we must continue to fight together in faith and in prosperity.

49:04

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So I appreciate you being here.

49:07

Ana Campagnolo

As we say in Brazil, having friends is good, having rich friends is great, and having investor friends is perfect. So you will be very welcome, and the conversation was wonderful for us as well to be able to learn a bit more about Texan culture and about the sentiment you have here as Christians, as people engaged in politics. Being able to share a bit about Brazil as well is for sure a connection that is precious for both sides, and we are very honored to be here. Thank you very much, Sarah.

49:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You. Yes.

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Episode Timeline

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Fight for The Truth

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