Public Note #29 – For the lost life of João Alberto

The Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights – the Arns Commission – goes public to express its most vehement repudiation for the murder, by brutal beating and asphyxiation, of João Alberto Silveira Freitas, on the premises of the Carrefour supermarket, in the northern zone of Porto Alegre. A heinous crime that stains this Black Awareness Day with blood and shame.

The death of João Alberto adds another chapter to the historical and structural racism that Brazilian society lives with – and often tolerates. It is another deplorable page in the history of a country that punishes Black citizens every day, through multiple forms of discrimination and violence. It is no wonder that the homicide rate of the Black Brazilian population has reached 37.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while it is at 13.9 for whites, as reported by the 2020 Atlas of Violence from the Institute for Applied Economic Research and the Brazilian Public Security Forum (Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada – Ipea-FBSP).

This Commission has been warning society about the escalation of violence against Black and poor youth, as well as about the racism in companies that directly deal with the public – such as supermarkets, stores, and shopping centers –, in recurring events, ranging from verbal harassment to torture. But “Brazilian racism” seems to persist, undaunted, degrading society as a whole and each of us as individuals.

We demand that the lost life of João Alberto must not become a mere statistic. His death must be investigated with the diligence that the case’s seriousness imposes. The responsibility and accountability of the commercial establishment for hiring a security company that adopts abusive practices and inhumane treatment must be investigated. The perpetrators of the crime must be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable for their actions. And the Brazilian business world must incorporate, once and for all, respect for human rights in its daily routine.

We cannot tolerate so much injustice. Enough!