NGOs condemn Witzel’s ‘racist blood bath’ in Rio

Ágatha, only eight years old, was shot inside a vehicle. She was with her mother and they were on their way home to Complexo do Alemão, in Rio

Governor Wilson Witzel takes office in a handover ceremony in the Salão Nobre at the Palácio Guanabara, in the southern region of the city. Photo: Carlos Magno.

The death of a child, Agatha Félix, last Friday night, 20 September, in Rio de Janeiro was denounced today, at the UN Human Rights Council.

In a statement made by Conectas, Voz das Comunidades, Justiça Global and Rede de Observatórios da Segurança, the organisations call for the international community to speak out against the ‘racist blood bath instigated by Governor Witzel in Rio’.

Ágatha, only eight years old, was shot inside a vehicle. She was with her mother and they were on their way home to Complexo do Alemão, in Rio. According to witnesses, the shot was fired by a police officer, who was firing at a suspicious motorbike.

“The shoot to kill policy is encouraged by Rio de Janeiro’s governor, Wilson Witzel,” say the institutions in their statement. “He has vowed to give police powers to kill gun-toting bandits during his campaign. This now becomes a reality and police killings in Rio reach a new historical record ….”

• For further reading: Witzel’s security policy is responsible for the execution of another child 

From January to August 2019, 1249 people were killed by the police in the state, according to Rio de Janeiro’s Public Security Institute. At least eight children have been shot in police operations in Rio de Janeiro in 2019.

The UN itself, has questioned the abusive use of force against poor communities in underprivileged regions of Rio de Janeiro, through its Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions. They stressed that the majority of the victims are young black people from favelas. According to the UN, if allegations are confirmed, the Rio governor could be violating articles of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on Children’s Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights.

Watch the statement (in English)

Response from the Brazilian State

In response to the statement made by the organisations, the Brazilian commission at the UN Human Rights Council responded that authorities in the state of Rio de Janeiro had already initiated the necessary investigation into the facts and criticised what they called the ‘politicization’ of Ágatha’s death.

“Brazil regrets that the death of a young girl, a child a few days ago, which is under investigation by the competent authorities, is being politicized in this Human Rights Council. In conclusion, while taking the necessary efforts to fight crime and violence, Brazil reiterates its unwavering commitment to human rights, the rule of law and, above all, to the democratic character of our society,” said the diplomatic representative.