[2] For several years she disputed leadership of the PDC with António Ximenes da Costa [de], which culminated in the Supreme Court declaring the Costa-led version of the party the official one in 2005.

[1][5][6] Guterres has sought to bar the use of Portuguese from parliamentary debates, arguing that it is not widely understood in the country and therefore exclusionary.

Guterres criticized Lay for speaking Portuguese during a debate, rather than Tetum, which is more commonly spoken in the country.

She also added that Guterres had made racist comments and that she had called her a china pirata ("Chinese pirate").

[8] The Lusa News Agency reported that this encounter followed an incident the previous day in which Guterres had to be restrained by fellow legislators in order to prevent her from attacking another CNRT member of parliament, Vírgina Ana Belo [de].