Chilean Man Arrested in Brazil for Racism: Attempted to Open Airplane Door Mid-Flight and Insulted Airline Staff

Original article: Otro chileno detenido por racismo en Brasil: Intentó abrir la puerta de un avión en pleno vuelo y trató de «mono» a un trabajador de la aerolínea A Chilean citizen was arrested in Brazil after being involved in a racist incident aboard Latam flight LA8070 from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt on May 10. The individual reportedly attempted to open the aircraft door mid-flight and hurled racist and homophobic slurs at a crew member. The incident was captured on video and shared by Chilevisión, prompting Latam Airlines to release a statement denouncing «any act of violence, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, or homophobia, both onboard their flights and in any space related to their operations.

» In the footage, flight attendants can be heard trying to calm the man, asking him to return to his seat, which only seemed to escalate his anger as he began to insult one of the airline’s workers. «The issue is with black skin… the smell of black, of Brazilian… I don’t know you, black, monkey, you’re a monkey, monkeys belong in trees,» the agitated individual can be heard saying. You can watch the full video HERE.

Following the incident, Brazilian authorities confirmed the Chilean was detained for his racist and homophobic insults towards the crew, stating that he «attempted to open the aircraft door during the flight and, when restrained by staff, began to insult them. » As a result of complaints from those affected, authorities decided to place the suspect in preventive detention, which took place as he returned from Frankfurt and stopped in Brazil. This incident marks the second case of a Chilean citizen being arrested in Brazil for racist insults in 2026.

Back in February, a fan of the O’Higgins club from Rancagua exhibited similar behavior at a stadium in the Nazaré neighborhood of Salvador during a match between his team and local Bahia. It is important to note that actions or gestures of racism—along with racism itself—are considered serious crimes in Brazil: they are non-bailable, have no statute of limitations, and can lead to prison sentences ranging from 2 to 5 years, in addition to the possibility of fines.