Argentine lawyer Agostina Páez, 29, has denounced mistreatment by a police officer during her judicial process in Brazil for racial insult. After meeting with the Argentine consul in Rio de Janeiro, she denied any racist intent and expressed her wish to return to Argentina. She remains under restrictions, including an electronic anklet, as the case continues.
Agostina Páez, a 29-year-old Argentine lawyer, was detained in Brazil on January 14 after being recorded making gestures deemed discriminatory toward bar employees in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. The Civil Police closed the investigation on January 23 based on the video, charging her with racial insult, a serious offense in Brazil's penal system carrying two to five years in prison. Páez denied any intent to discriminate, describing the incident as an 'emotional reaction.' 'I had no intention to discriminate, much less to be racist because I am Argentine and a lawyer,' she stated in television interviews.
After a brief preventive detention on Friday, which was revoked hours later, Páez remains under controlled liberty with an electronic anklet. She cannot leave the country and must report to local courts monthly between the 1st and 10th. Her defense filed a counter-complaint for prior provocation, based on another recording showing a waiter insulting her.
In a meeting with Argentine consul Jorge Enrique Perrén, Páez denounced that, while most police treated her well, one in particular mistreated her and obstructed the process. 'There is a police officer who made me suffer. It's not just what happened that day, but everything that comes after,' she recounted. She also expressed distress over the leak of her address, forcing her to move due to fear of reprisals, and over the use of her image in public anti-racism campaigns, which she finds humiliating. 'I don't understand why they made the spot with my image. They're using me as an example,' she said.
Páez reunited with her family in Rio, including her father Mariano, who will stay to support her. She insists on returning to Argentina to follow the process from home, noting there are no precedents of convictions for foreigners on this charge. The consul recommended hiring a local private lawyer to expedite timelines.
