Argentine lawyer Agostina Páez, 29, has been charged with racial slur against four bar employees in Ipanema, southern Rio de Janeiro, with preventive arrest ordered by the Court of Justice on February 5. The incident happened on January 14, stemming from a dispute over the bill, involving offenses like derogatorily calling a worker 'black' and mimicking a monkey. Páez posted a video on social media expressing desperation and fear.
The case began on January 14, when Argentine lawyer Agostina Páez, with friends, was at a bar on Rua Vinícius de Moraes in Ipanema. A dispute arose over an alleged billing error, leading her to derogatorily call an employee 'black.' Heading to the cashier, she used the term 'mono' (monkey in Spanish) and, even after being warned it was a crime in Brazil, continued with gestures and sounds mimicking the animal. Outside the bar on the sidewalk, she repeated the offenses against three other employees, as captured on video.
The Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ) filed charges on February 2, accepted by the Court of Justice on February 5, making Páez a defendant for racial slur, a crime equated to racism carrying 2 to 5 years in prison plus a fine. Prior to the decision, her passport was seized, she was banned from leaving the country, and required to wear an electronic ankle monitor.
In a social media video, Páez said she was 'desperate' and 'dying of fear.' The charges dismiss her claim that the gestures were jokes for friends, as one companion tried to stop her, showing awareness of the severity. Evidence includes victim and witness statements, security camera footage, and recordings.
Páez is an influencer with over 80,000 TikTok followers (profile deactivated) from Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Her father, Mariano Páez, faces a gender violence case in their home country.
