Female Argentine Tourist, 29, Faces Years in Jail Under Strict Brazilian Anti-Racism Laws After ‘Making Monkey Noises’ During Row With Rio Waiter

A tourist could face up to five years in prison in Brazil after she was filmed making a racist gesture toward bar staff in a video that quickly spread online.

Agostina Páez, 29, a lawyer from Argentina, was arrested after footage allegedly showed her mimicking a monkey and using a racial slur as she left a beachfront bar in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of January 14.

The clip, recorded by a staff member, triggered outrage in Brazil, where racism is treated as a criminal offence under strict laws, and has since ignited a political row between the two South American nations.

A court in Rio has begun hearing evidence in the case and is expected to deliver a verdict in the coming weeks.

Páez has apologised for her actions but claimed she was provoked during a dispute over a bar bill. She said: ‘It was an emotional reaction. I never imagined the gravity of it all.’

Details of the confrontation remain unclear, though prosecutors say the incident began with an argument over charges.

Páez has alleged staff behaved aggressively toward her and her friends, making obscene gestures at them as they were leaving.

Security camera footage from the bar, reviewed by The New York Times, appears to show an employee taunting the tourists as they were leaving the bar.

Despite the claims, Brazilian authorities have pressed ahead with charges, arguing that any provocation does not excuse racist behaviour.

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