Killing of Congolese Immigrant in Brazil Exposes Country’s Racial Animus

The murder of Moïse Mugenyi Kabagambe, a young Congolese refugee in Brazil who was beaten to death after being bound hand and foot by by a group of men on one of Rio de Janeiro’s best-known beaches, has caused an explosion of anger over deep-rooted structural racism and hate violence in the country where experts claim there is “a George Floyd every 23 minutes,” reports The Guardian. Kabagambe, who worked informally as a waiter serving beach-goers, sustained fatal chest injuries after being knocked to the ground and battered dozens of times with pieces of wood and fists.  Activists believe the roots of Kabagambe’s murder run much deeper, describing the killing as part of slavery’s malignant legacy in a country that received nearly 5 million enslaved people from Africa. “Brazil is a dangerous country for us black people. Beware!” tweeted Preto Zezé, a prominent black activist and impresario. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to hit Brazil’s streets on Saturday to protest against the murder.