Brutal murder of Congolese immigrant in Rio sparks nationwide outrage

“Look at this photo of my son, my baby. He was a good boy. They broke my son, they beat him in the back, on the face. My god, he didn’t deserve this. They got a rope, put my son on the ground, and pulled at the rope. Why? Because he was black? They killed my son because he was black, because he was African.”

Congolese citizen Moïse Kabagambe, 24, was brutally beaten to death in Rio de Janeiro on January 24, sparking outcry across the whole of Brazil and the heartfelt lament of his mother Ivana Lay, given to O Globo journalist Rafael Nascimento de Souza and transcribed above.

Mr. Kabagambe worked at a beachside kiosk in the upmarket Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, serving drinks to customers relaxing on the sand. Having emigrated to Brazil with his mother and brothers, he worked to help pay the rent of the family’s home. Whatever money was left over, he used to meet up with friends and drink beer.

He often complained about his employers, claiming that he was paid less than his colleagues, and on January 24 he arrived at...