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Argentine Lawyer Investigated in Rio Over Alleged Racist Gestures Barred From Leaving Brazil

Prosecutors are weighing formal racial-discrimination charges under Brazil’s injúria racial statute.

Overview

  • A Rio judge ordered Agostina Páez’s passport seized and imposed electronic monitoring at the request of the 11th Rocinha precinct, preventing her from leaving Brazil.
  • The Jan. 14 incident at an Ipanema bar followed a dispute over the bill, with security footage and bystander videos reported to show monkey imitations and racial slurs toward an employee.
  • Police Civil continue to gather evidence as the Ministério Público evaluates whether to file charges that Brazilian media note carry potential prison terms of two to five years.
  • Páez, a 29-year-old lawyer and influencer from Santiago del Estero, issued a public apology and claimed the conflict stemmed from billing issues and alleged provocation by staff, while saying she has since shut her social media accounts out of fear.
  • She remains under court supervision in Rio with travel restrictions, and the case has drawn extensive coverage and debate in Brazil and Argentina.