Brazilian federal police detained a Spanish national at São Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport in the early hours of Wednesday, 24 June, on suspicion of racial injury. The arrest occurred as she disembarked from a Latam flight arriving from São Luís, in the north-eastern state of Maranhão, after crew members summoned officers.

According to statements given to police and reported by Brazilian media, the passenger became irritated by a delay in exiting the aircraft. No covered stairs were immediately available because of rain, and she is alleged to have said that the problem was that “there are only monkeys outside”. The remark was directed at ground staff, though it remains unclear whether they were airport or airline employees. Latam said in a statement that “there is no justification for the aggression towards its employees” and that it condemns all forms of racism and discrimination.

Under Brazilian law, racial injury is treated as a form of racism, carrying a prison sentence of two to five years and a fine. Since a 2023 legislative change, the offence is non-bailable and imprescriptible. The woman remains in custody pending a judicial custody hearing; her name and legal representation have not been made public.

The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile arrests of foreign visitors on similar grounds. In January, an Argentine lawyer was detained in Rio de Janeiro after being filmed mimicking a monkey at a waiter; she later returned to Argentina but legal proceedings continue. In May, a Chilean businessman was arrested at Guarulhos for racial and homophobic slurs against a flight crew, and an Argentine man was indicted in Minas Gerais for allegedly sharing images of a child with racist messages. Brazilian authorities have not indicated whether the current case is connected to any broader pattern, and the investigation is ongoing.