Racism in Brazil: The death of a five-year-old

[Judi Lynn]

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil is experiencing its own version of "Black Lives Matter." The death of a five-year-old black boy in Recife has reignited the discussion about racism in the country.



Date 06.06.2020
Author Astrid Prange

"While the #blacklivesmatter hashtag does the rounds of social media, here in Brazil we've lost another black child because of the deeply rooted racism in our society," writes the historian Larissa Ibúmi. "These are still the same colonial structures that degrade black women to the servants of white mistresses."

Ibúmi was responding to the death of Miguel Otávio Santana da Silva, a tragic incident that occurred on June 3 in Recife, capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Mirtes Renata Souza, a domestic servant, arrived for work on the fifth floor of a luxurious condominium. Schools were closed due to coronavirus measures, so she brought her five-year-old son Miguel Otávio Santana da Silva with her.

Souza then took the dog out for a walk, as instructed by her employer, Sarí Gaspar Côrte Real, leaving her son behind in the apartment. But the boy wanted to follow his mother, and Côrte Real let him take the elevator by himself.

Accusation of manslaughter

The condominium's security camera footage shows that the boy got out of the elevator on the ninth floor, and climbed through a window onto a balcony railing. Shortly afterwards, he fell to his death. His mother's employer has been charged with manslaughter by criminal negligence – and is already free on bail of €3,450 ($3,900).

More:
https://www.dw.com/en/racism-in-brazil-the-death-of-a-five-year-old/a-53709342