Brazil, on Saturday, January 25, expressed outrage over dozens of immigrants deported from the United States being flown in by plane with their wrists handcuffed, deeming it a “flagrant disregard” of their rights. Among them are 88 Brazilians, including children.
The Brazilian foreign ministry said it would demand an explanation from the Donald Trump administration regarding the humiliating treatment of passengers on that flight. In a statement, the justice ministry said that when the plane landed in Brazil’s Manaus, authorities ordered US officials to remove the handcuffs immediately.
The statement added that Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski told President Lula da Silva of “the flagrant disregard for the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens. ” The flight was originally destined for the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte but encountered a technical issue forcing it to land in Manaus.
One of the passengers on board the flight told the news agency AFP, “On the plane, they didn’t give us water, we were tied hands and feet, they wouldn’t even let us go to the bathroom.”
“It was very hot; some people fainted,” the passenger added. Another passenger said that due to technical issues, the flight did not have air conditioning, which caused many passengers to have respiratory problems.
