The racist insults to Vinícius Júnior have raised blisters in his native country, Brazil, where the authorities have formally requested the Spanish ambassador in Brasilia to punish those responsible, as confirmed by the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The ministry contacted the Spanish embassy on Monday to address the situation. "Taking into account the seriousness of the events and the fact that another inadmissible episode has occurred, the Brazilian government deeply regrets that, until now, no effective measures have been taken to prevent and avoid the repetition of these acts of racism," the statement reads.
The unfortunate episode also led the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to call FIFA and LaLiga to demand measures to stop the entrenchment of racism in soccer stadiums, while the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, pointed out that the authorities They are considering adopting the principle of extraterritoriality.
"We are studying the possibility of applying the principle known as extraterritoriality. The Penal Code provides that, in some exceptional situations, it is possible to apply Brazilian law in case of crimes against Brazilians even abroad," he told reporters.
Dino clarified that for now it is a question of studying the possibilities in "the eventuality that we consider that the Spanish authorities are omitted." In a message he posted on his Twitter account, he clarified that the Penal Code provides that the Brazilian Justice can make use of the principle, if the Government requests it, as an "extreme remedy" for a crime suffered by a Brazilian in the outside. According to the minister, it is a tool that can be useful "in the event of inertia by the competent authorities and that can work as a response to unjust attacks against a compatriot."
Faced with some criticism generated by his statements, the minister published another message in which he clarified that the possibility is only analyzed and that it depends on various factors. "I just want to remind you that it is provided for in the Penal Code, since some are questioning the mention I made as an extreme remedy. I consider it useful for everyone to know about the existence of this protection for the rights of Brazilians. By the way, the principle it also exists in Spain and in other countries," he said.
The condemnation of the insults against Vinícius also extended to the most iconic monument in the country, the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, whose lights went out on Monday night in protest. In a message on Instagram, the Archdiocesan Shrine that manages the monument noted that the lighting was turned off "as a symbol of the collective fight against racism and in solidarity with the player and all those who suffer from prejudice around the world. ".
The player thanked the supportive gesture and was moved by the entire chain of messages of love and support. "I want, above all, to inspire and bring more light to our fight," he said in a message on Twitter, in which he finished: "I have a purpose in life and if I have to suffer more and more so that future generations do not pass for similar situations, I am ready and prepared."
The scandal coincides with the arrest this Tuesday of four people who would have hung a doll with Vinícius's shirt from a bridge near the Real Madrid sports complex last January.
