Argentine Lawyer Detained in Brazil Following Bar Incident, Sparks Racism Debate
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – A 29-year-old Argentine lawyer from Santiago del Estero is facing legal repercussions in Brazil after an incident at a bar in Ipanema that has quickly gained national attention and ignited a debate surrounding racism and public conduct. The case of Agostina Páez has escalated from a nighttime dispute into a significant judicial matter with considerable media coverage.
The incident began during a night out in Rio de Janeiro. Páez, accompanied by friends, was at a bowling alley when, according to her account, a disagreement arose as the group attempted to leave. “We paid the entrance fee and everything we consumed. When we were about to leave, they stopped us and told us that there were things with the bracelet that we had not paid for. We had paid everything at the time. “I have the receipts, with the schedules and everything,” she stated in an interview with The Liberal newspaper.
Páez claims the situation escalated when they protested what they believed to be an incorrect charge. “We started telling them that they were robbing us, that they were thieves. They laughed in our faces. “We pay anyway,” she recounted.
Following the exchange, Páez alleges that bar employees followed them and made offensive gestures. “They grabbed their genitals, pointed at us and laughed. That’s when I made that gesture. I couldn’t see them well. The gestures were more for my friends,” she explained.
Security camera footage of the incident, reviewed by bar staff, led to the claim that Páez’s gestures were racially motivated. Brazilian media outlets, including O’Globo and G1, report that she is accused of using the word “monkey,” a highly offensive racial slur in Brazil.
Páez has expressed remorse for her reaction, stating, “I am very sorry for that reaction,” but maintains her gestures were not directed at the bar staff. “I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I didn’t want to signal to them directly. “It was for the euphoria, for the moment lived, and it was for my friends,” she clarified.
Brazilian authorities acted swiftly. Páez’s passport has been seized, and she has been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring anklet while the investigation proceeds. She is also prohibited from leaving the country. “I am locked in an apartment because I know that my face, my name is in all the Brazilian media,” Páez confessed, adding that she is receiving threats and has closed her social media accounts. “I’m scared to death, literally.” She also stated she was warned that attempting to leave Brazil by plane would result in her arrest.
The case is being handled by the 11th Police Delegation of Rocinha and falls under Brazil’s zero-tolerance policy regarding racism and discrimination, which carries potential prison sentences. The Public Ministry is considering formal charges of racial discrimination, which could further complicate the legal situation for the Argentine lawyer.
