The US Foreign Service looked the other way while my friend was brutalized in Brazil

[TSLexi]

This is so upsetting to write about, but I must tell you about the corruption in the US Foreign Service. This happened in 2013.

My friend was a Brazilian-ethnic medical student. To protect his privacy, I'm going to call him Alex. We've known each other for several years, and last year he was done with his final clinical clerkships, so he had several weeks of free-time before he started his IM residency. So Alex asked me if I wanted to take a trip to Brazil to go see Carnival. That really excited me, so I jumped at the chance.

Well, we were having a great time partying, and he was getting really drunk. Along with just about everyone else, except me. Well, a few guys started making passes at me, and he decided to defend me. By smashing their heads into the wall. A huge fight started, and I slipped out and got the police (very awkward, since I kept mixing up Spanish and Portuguese words). I gave them me and Alex's US Passports, and they arrested Alex along with several other of the fighters. They returned mine, but kept Alex's, and called the US Consulate to inform them that he was arrested.

So he was in jail now, and I didn't have any money to post his bond, so he was remanded to Polinter jail while charges of battery were being filed.

I knew that Brazilian prisons were bad and the guards are lazy, but I was thinking "he's a tough guy, he can tough this out." How wrong I was. Apparently, he was being kept in the same area as the people he was fighting. So when I came to see him the next morning, he was beaten severely. His face was totally smashed in. Later I was informed he was rushed to a hospital where a craniotomy was done and his face plated back together.

I immediately went to the US Consul, and I told them "You need to fucking do something, he is going to die!" Their response "Ma'am, we sincerely apologize for this terrible ordeal you are going through, but we cannot interfere with another state's justice system. Things will work out, we are doing everything in our power to help."

I told them "You need to get him released so he can be in a proper secure prison, not this rat-infested cesspool. Man up, and start actually trying to help him! Don't you have FAST Marines protecting this site? You can deploy them to extract him so he can be moved to safety!" "Ma'am, if we do anything that could even be construed as a threat to Brazil's sovereignty, we will get expelled and then all bets are off. Please be patient, I know you are extremely frustrated; I would be too."

Eventually he recovered and was sent back to the prison. He was now partially-sighted in both eyes, and is on anti-seizure medication.

After six months, he had a trial, and he was sentenced to two years. During that period, he suffered another assault, and his hands were smashed.

At this point I said "I've had enough. The USN Fourth Fleet is stationed here. Perhaps threatening a naval blockade will convince them to release him." "Ma'am, I truly feel for you. This is a tragedy. But a naval blockade is an act of war, as I am sure you know, and starting a war with Brazil will not help him at all. We cannot break the law, let alone declare war, to rescue him. Unfortunately, it's just not worth it to risk the lives of thousands of Sailors and Marines for one person and effectively force Brazil to sever diplomatic relations and upset the entirety of South America. Once again none of this should have ever happened, but there's nothing we can legally do."

Apparently my friend's severe injuries that were suffered in Brazilian prison were not enough to convince the USFS officers to risk their jobs to ensure his safety. He is permanently disabled, and will never be able to fulfill his dream.

The USFS is lazy and does nothing to prevent evil from being inflicted upon our citizens in foreign countries. Apologies are not solutions! You may, gasp, have to break the law to dispense justice!

If I was in charge of US foreign policy, any country that inflicts this sort of evil upon our travelers will be annexed so true justice can be dispensed, because if they do this to our citizens, they no doubt also do it to their own citizens. We are the leaders of the free world, and we must spread the Bill of Rights, such as the right to clean, safe prisons and speedy trials.

I want to burn the Brazil Embassy down. They need to understand that this cannot be tolerated. Imperial Rome would have annexed them by now.

I miss my friend. He was my hero. He deserved to be arrested and charged with assault, but he didn't deserve to have his body, mind, and future destroyed for protecting me.

The Ferguson rioters deserve this crap. Not my friend.

 

[acptulsa]

My friend was a Brazilian-ethnic medical student.

So, is he a citizen of Brazil or a citizen of the U.S?

If I was in charge of US foreign policy, any country that inflicts this sort of evil upon our travelers will be annexed so true justice can be dispensed, because if they do this to our citizens, they no doubt also do it to their own citizens. We are the leaders of the free world, and we must spread the Bill of Rights, such as the right to clean, safe prisons and speedy trials.

I want to burn the Brazil Embassy down. They need to understand that this cannot be tolerated. Imperial Rome would have annexed them by now.

Imperial Rome annexed places like Jerusalem and allowed them to continue their barbaric internal practices like crucifixion.

I miss my friend. He was my hero. He deserved to be arrested and charged with assault, but he didn't deserve to have his body, mind, and future destroyed for protecting me.

The Ferguson rioters deserve this crap. Not my friend.

What's more, you feel guilty because you know he was trying to defend you. And you are right, as far as it goes. The system he's in makes a mockery of the word 'justice'. It is not the sort of thing that earns a society the label 'civilized country'. But don't damn Fergusonians because you're frustrated. And please, please forgive us if we spend more time and effort trying to keep the United States, which is going the wrong direction, from slipping down to Brazil's level than we spend trying to improve Brazil.

Wish I could be more help. I really do. I wouldn't consider a war with Brazil over things like this to be a just war, but it would be a damned sight more just than fighting over oil and pipelines and the Petrodollar like we always do. But be truthful with yourself over this: Would your friend want thousands to die for him?

Good luck, God bless, and remember this: It isn't your fault that he tried to defend you in an uncivilized country. It really isn't. Which doesn't mean you shouldn't go on fighting for him, it just means you're the good guy here, not the bad guy.

 

[TSLexi]

My friend is a US citizen.

We should annex countries like this and reorganize their government and justice system to ensure justice is dispensed quickly and fairly. We do not tolerate this behavior in ourselves, we shouldn't tolerate it in our countries. Imperialism is a excellent things; the world is much better off after being colonized by the British.

They wouldn't dare do this to the Ambassador or his family if they somehow got into a fight, why doesn't my friend deserve immunity from this barbarism?

Why were they so afraid of getting expelled? Brazil's ambassador deserves retributive justice. Why would a war be unjustified? They deliberately infringed upon my friend's human rights.

 

[Henry Rogue]

Never call the police.

 

[TSLexi]

If I didn't someone else would have.

 

[TSLexi]

Every time I see the Brazilian Embassy, I want to Molotov it. They deserve it, not the civilized luxury of negotiations

 

[specsaregood]

Uhm, if you think we should be policeman of the world then you are in the wrong forum. sorry about your friend but shouldn't have gotten into a fight in Brazil.

 

[TSLexi]

Where did we ever authorize Brazil to commit acts of barbarism against our citizens or anyone? As soon as they do something like this, they lose their sovereignty. I and the USFS should have threatened reprisal against their government officials.

They said that we cannot interfere with a sovereign nation's justice system to rescue someone. Yes we can! We interfered with Nazi Germany's to rescue scores of Jews. We need to start being imperialist and colonial again!

This is an American human right and liberty issue because American looked the other way when it could have taken direct action. Diplomatic meetings are not a substitute for actual work I decrying human rights abuses. We need to actually do something, like place Brazil under supervision. That's why we project power via our military and Foreign Service.

 

[acptulsa]

Firstly...

"It always will seem funny to us United Staters that we are about the only ones that really know how to do everything right. I don't know how a lot of these other nations have existed as long as they have 'til we could get some of our people around and show them really how to be pure and good like us."--Will Rogers 1932

...I don't think this nation is as perfect as you think it is. We should probably get our own house back in order.

Secondly, Brazil has a right to self-determination, whether you like it or not.

Thirdly, I'm sure that if you actually could get this war of yours started you'd feel less guilty about playing a small and blameless part in your friend's misfortune. But thousands of deaths over him might very well leave your friend riddled with guilt.

Is this war worth selling your soul for?

 

[TSLexi]

I never said we're perfect. But we are better than them. Not all cultures and civilizations are equal. He didn't deserve this. Why did nobody actually try to help? My friend did the right thing and he got beaten nearly to death and lost his dream. How many people have to suffer under brutality before we say enough is enough?


Where did we give Brazil the right to violate someone's human rights and dignity? Where? They do not have the right to self-determination if they abuse it like this. It's a privilege we can revoke.

Those who were abused in Nazi Germany welcomed our intervention to prevent further abuse. I'm sure the Brazilian prisoners would too.

We can wage a bloodless war by blockading their ports and arresting their embassy officials until they fix their justice system to our satisfaction. If any "justice system", foreign or domestic, is unjust, we have a duty to interfere with it.

My friend should have been remanded to the US Consul to be deported and tried under our justice system.

 

[TSLexi]

Maybe I could sue Brazil for violating Alex's human rights? That seems more effective.

 

[tod evans]

Maybe I could sue Brazil for violating Alex's human rights? That seems more effective.

Maybe you could do like every other foreigner who gets their ass in a sling in some foreign country, BRIBE THEM!

The exact same thing works in the US only the bribe money is paid to the lawyer.

Besides money, time is the only way your friend is getting out of goal.

 

[TSLexi]

Maybe you could do like every other foreigner who gets their ass in a sling in some foreign country, BRIBE THEM!

The exact same thing works in the US only the bribe money is paid to the lawyer.

Besides money, time is the only way your friend is getting out of goal.

I'm not getting myself arrested by the US for bribery of a foreign official. Then I can't help, obviously.

The options are either a lawsuit, threats against the Brazilian diplomats here, or a blockade.

By the US Government turning a blind eye to Brazil's evil, they are committing evil themselves. Anyone who abuses their freedom dispense injustice does not deserve it. We must take away the sovereignty of any nation who violates human rights of travelers or their people. We need to rehabilitate their government by blockading them and placing our military in strict control of their government. Once they have rehabilitated, we will release them from the blockade and supervision, and the Ambassador will have the authority to reinstate it if they screw up again. We do this with criminals already. It doesn't matter whether a criminal is an individual, a company, or a foreign government.

 

[tod evans]

The options are either a lawsuit, threats against the Brazilian diplomats here, or a blockade.

Paying the bribe via lawyer (lawsuit) is the ONLY option a sane person types on the interwebs....

If you are in fact cute enough that drunken revelers would start a bar brawl over you then maybe you could use your feminine wiles to have your friend released...

Either way it's going to cost.

 

[angelatc]

My friend is a US citizen.

We should annex countries like this and reorganize their government and justice system to ensure justice is dispensed quickly and fairly..

But we are better than them.

I am sorry about your friend, but I think that we should let Brazil be Brazil.

 

[TSLexi]

Paying the bribe via lawyer (lawsuit) is the ONLY option a san person types on the interwebs....

If you are in fact cute enough that drunken revelers would start a bar brawl over you then maybe you could use your feminine wiles to have your friend released...

Either way it's going to cost.

...did you just call me insane? Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I should whore myself to get things. You all don't seem to be concerned with justice, but more concerned with the international status quo.

 

[angelatc]

...did you just call me insane? Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I should whore myself to get things. You all don't seem to be concerned with justice, but more concerned with the international status quo.

How do you define justice? And why is your definition of justice more correct than theirs?

 

[tod evans]

...did you just call me insane? Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I should whore myself to get things. You all don't seem to be concerned with justice, but more concerned with the international status quo.

Threats made against foreign government(s) isn't the pinnacle of sanity there toots...

You seem to believe that the "Just-Us" system of the United States is in some way superior to what Brazil has....That too really doesn't point to level headedness..

Whether the US or some foreign nation, when a foreigner is imprisoned it takes political power, money or "barter" to extract them from the clutches of the system. Which of the 3 options are you capable of providing?

Stomping your pretty little feet and gnashing your teeth is a good tension reliever, now what are you going to DO that might help your friend?

 

[TSLexi]

How do you define justice? And why is your definition of justice more correct than theirs?

The objective of justice is to deter offense, rehabilitate the offender, and encourage him to repair the harm done. We at least try to do this. Brazil seems to just warehouse criminals to rot. All people have a right to a speedy trial and not to be abused in jail. Brazil waited six entire months to try him, let him get beaten in prison, and sentenced him to two entire years in an unsafe, dirty, infection-laden hellhole.

 

[TSLexi]

Threats made against foreign government(s) isn't the pinnacle of sanity there toots...

You seem to believe that the "Just-Us" system of the United States is in some way superior to what Brazil has....That too really doesn't point to level headedness..

Whether the US or some foreign nation when a foreigner is imprisoned it takes political power, money or "barter" to extract them from the clutches of the system. Which of the 3 options are you capable of providing?

Stomping your pretty little feet and gnashing your teeth is a good tension reliever, now what are you going to DO that might help your friend?

I don't have much disposable income, and I highly doubt a "Raise money to fund my friend's bribe to get him released from Polinter prison" is going to go down too well.

Power comes from the barrel of a gun. If you didn't have a gun, and someone threatened and pursued you to give into their demands, you really don't have a choice.

Brazil has a very small military, and a war against them will revitalize the economy by creating jobs, much better than Obama's failed "plan"! And we'll have access to oil to help our energy crisis!