Congressmen from Lula’s base classified the practice as “humiliation” and “disrespect”; procedure is standard in the United States
Members of the President’s government (PT) criticized the administration of US President Donald Trump (Republican Party), for the use of handcuffs during the transport of Brazilians deported from the United States.
This Saturday (January 25, 2025), the Minister of Justice, of those deported after their arrival in Brazil. The group was returning on a flight to Confins International Airport, in Belo Horizonte, which had to make an emergency landing in Manaus due to technical problems.
Lula ordered that a FAB (Brazilian Air Force) aircraft be made available to complete the transport of deportees to Belo Horizonte. According to the government, the measure sought to ensure that the trip was completed “with dignity and safety”.
On social media, congressmen and allies of the government base classified the use of handcuffs as “humiliation” e “disrespect”,
Former minister Paulo Pimenta wrote, in a publication on X (formerly Twitter), that Lula is “gigante” and that the way Brazilians were treated was unacceptable.
The Advocate General of the Union, , stated that “there is no reason for Brazilian citizens to be handcuffed on deportation flights”. According to the AGU, the attitude of the North American government “fere” both Brazilian national sovereignty and “dignity of the human person”.
In the United States, however, when someone is placed in state custody for having committed an offense – including entering the country illegally –, standard procedure is to be handcuffed when being transported from one location to another. It doesn’t matter how serious the crime is: everyone needs to have their movements limited.
In some cases, handcuffs are placed on the wrists and ankles of the person being detained. This is done to protect police officers from possible attacks by arrested people – including during flights, as was the case with the plane that brought Brazilians who were illegal in the USA back to Brazil.
As in Manaus it was an FAB aircraft that continued the journey to Belo Horizonte, the deportees were already under Brazilian jurisdiction and it would no longer be necessary to use handcuffs or follow US legal procedures. Strictly speaking, the order from the Ministry of Justice merely expressed something that would have happened anyway.
Read other manifestations:
- Rogério Correia, federal deputy (PT-MG) and deputy leader of the Lula government in the Chamber;
- Talíria Petrone, federal deputy (Psol/RJ);
- Ana Paula Lima, federal deputy (PT-SC) and deputy leader of the Lula government;
- Renata Souza, state deputy from Rio de Janeiro;
