Brazil on Saturday (January 25) expressed outrage over dozens of immigrants deported from the United States (US) arriving by plane in handcuffs, calling it a "flagrant disregard" for their rights. A total of 88 Brazilians, including children, were aboard the flight.
The Brazilian foreign ministry said that it would demand an explanation from the Donald Trump administration over the degrading treatment of passengers on that flight.
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In a statement, the justice ministry said that when the plane landed in Brazil's Manaus, authorities ordered US officials to immediately remove the handcuffs.
Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski told President Lula da Silva of "the flagrant disregard for the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens," the statement added.
The flight was originally destined for the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte but encountered a technical issue forcing it to land in Manaus.
'Not given water, nor allowed to use washroom'
One of the passengers aboard 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 there was no air conditioning on the flight due to technical issues, which led to many passengers facing respiratory problems.
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A government source told AFP that the deportation flight was not directly linked to any immigration orders issued by Trump upon taking office Monday but rather stemmed from a 2017 bilateral agreement.
Brazil's Minister of Human Rights, Macae Evaristo, said during a press conference that "children with autism ... who went through very serious experiences" were also on the flight.
Lula orders passengers to be transported to their final destination
The justice ministry statement also said that upon learning about the situation, President Lula ordered that a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft be mobilised to transport the passengers to their final destination to ensure that they could complete their journey with dignity and safety.
This incident came as Latin America is grappling with the Trump administration's hard-line anti-immigration agenda.
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Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration during the election campaign and began his second term with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling entry to the US.
On his first day in office, he signed orders declaring a "national emergency" at the southern US border and announced the deployment of more troops to the area while vowing to deport "criminal aliens."
(With inputs from agencies)