Maria Dantas

Dantas 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]

Dantas 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]

Dantas 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]