A Broken Record
BRAZIL
Thousands of people protested across Brazil over the weekend to denounce the murder of a 24-year-old Congolese refugee, a killing that sparked outrage and mobilized anti-racism movements in the South American country, Al Jazeera reported.
Last month, MoĆÆse Mugenyi Kabagambe was beaten to death by three assailants at a Rio de Janeiro beach kiosk where he was working. Police detained three men in connection with the murder but are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the young man’s killing.
Kabagambe’s family members and protesters said the young shopkeeper had gotten into an argument that night after claiming two days of overdue wages, according to the Associated Press.
The murder prompted condemnation and revulsion in Brazil: Many demonstrators called the Kabagambe’s death an all-too-common scenario when it comes to the killing of Black men.
Kabagambe and his family moved to Brazil in 2011 from their native Bunia in northeastern Congo. The country’s east has been plagued by decades of conflict, with local media reporting that the family had escaped the fighting between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups.
More than 2,500 Congolese have been recognized as refugees in Brazil since 2000. In recent years, Brazil has experienced a rise in the number of Congolese and Cameroonian refugees attempting to cross the border into the United States.
Meanwhile, the murder occurred during an election year, with far-right President Jair Bolsonaro running for reelection. Many protesters noted that the president’s silence on the matter shows how little he has done to address the issue.
