Brazil apologises after three diplomats’ Black teenagers searched at gunpoint

The Brazilian government has had to say sorry to the Canadian, Gabonese, and Burkinabe embassies after police officers searched the teenage children of three diplomats who are Black and pointed guns at them.

The situation occurred when the Brazilian boy's mother shared a security camera footage online, causing anger and also a sad acknowledgement that these situations are common for Black youths in Rio de Janeiro.

The three kids of diplomats were in Rio for a short vacation with a Brazilian friend who is white. They were celebrating the end of the school year from the same school they attend in Brasília, where they reside. This was their first trip away from their parents.

On Wednesday evening, as they were coming back from a day at the beach, they were stopped by a military police patrol car in the upscale area of Ipanema. Two officers quickly got out of the car, told the boys to put their hands on the wall, and proceeded to search them at gunpoint.

Rhaiana Rondon, the mother of a Brazilian young man, mentioned that the police officers specifically targeted the Black teenagers during the search.

Rondon, the one who shared the video, stated that it was obvious from the footage that her son and his cousin were treated in a distinct way compared to the Black immigrants.

"The police officer treated my son with more care because he is white, but the three Black teenagers had guns aimed at them," she recounted.

In their testimony to a committee in the state parliament, the teenagers claimed that the police officers asked them to display their private areas to search for hidden drugs.

A young boy sent a message to his parents explaining that after the authorities departed, they warned him and his friends not to wander around or they would be subject to another search.

Rondon stated that the video, witness statements, and the children's testimonies all clearly show that the search was motivated by racism.

The three boys from other countries are the children of the ambassadors from Gabon and Burkina Faso, while the fourth boy is the son of a diplomat from Canada.

The wife of the Gabonese ambassador, Julie-Pascale Moudoute-Bell, told TV Globo that she was upset about the police actions. She questioned why officers would threaten 13-year-old boys with guns. She mentioned that they believe in the Brazilian justice system and are seeking justice in this situation.

Friday saw the ambassadors from Gabon, Burkina Faso, and Canada being summoned to the foreign ministry in Brasília. There, they were given a "formal apology" by the Brazilian government.

The ministry asked the government of Rio state to thoroughly investigate and hold the police officers accountable for their actions in the incident.

Jurema Werneck, the executive director of Amnesty International Brazil, stated that racism was the sole explanation for the attack that these Black teenagers experienced.

However, she mentioned that these types of events occur regularly in Brazil "in the slums, outskirts, impoverished, and African American communities".

Regrettably, the violence experienced by these teenagers is not an isolated incident and, sadly, will likely continue to occur. In Brazil, young Black individuals are at risk and not immune to harm.

According to a recent study, the police in Rio have killed over 1,300 people in 2022, with 87% of them being Black. This percentage is much higher than the 58% of Afro-Brazilians in the state's population.

The military police in Rio, who are in charge of patrolling, stated that they will review the body camera recordings of the two officers to see if there was any improper behavior. The civil police, responsible for investigations, mentioned that their tourist assistance and racial crimes units are looking into the incident.

Rhaiana Rondon stated that the teenagers were highly distressed by the incident.

The Brazilian mother recounted how on Thursday, her children were frightened when they saw the patrol car pass by again. They quickly hid in an ice cream shop to escape their fear. Now, whenever they hear a siren, even if it's from an ambulance or fire truck, they feel scared.

Rondon mentioned that she had provided her son with various advice and instructions before his trip due to concerns about safety in Rio.

"I told him to keep an eye on his phone when we were out in public, and not to leave his backpack unattended at the beach," she recounted. "But I never expected that the police would end up being the most concerning danger."