Civil Society Organizations Condemn the Killing of Afro-Brazilian musician Evaldo Rosa do Santos

Letter sent to Ambassador Silva do Amaral

Dear Ambassador Silva do Amaral,

We, the undersigned members of U.S. civil society, who follow issues of human rights in the Americas write to express our shock and outrage concerning the April 7 murder of Afro descendant singer Evaldo Rosa dos Santos. According to the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the musician was traveling by car to a baby shower when the military of the Brazil army shot his vehicle 80 times killing him. Mr. Rosa dos Santos’ wife, father in law, 7 year-oldson, and 13 year-old goddaughter (13 years old) were accompanying him in the car. The incident took place in Guadalupe neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro.

We strongly urge your government to carry out an independent investigation under ordinary jurisdiction that determines the motive and circumstances that led to this military action and deaths. We also expect your government to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. Further, we echo CEJIL’s insistence that in this investigation there be analysis done as to whether or not “this occurred because of the practices of institutional racism and selectivity that permeate police repression and public safety by state agents.”

We plan to continue to monitor this case until justice takes place for the Rosa dos Santos family.

Sincerely,

Damani Aaquil, RCAA-Regional Council of Africans in the Americas

Willie L. Baker, Jr., Executive Vice President Emeritus, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU)

Eduardo Barada, Afro-Cuban activist, Washington, DC

Shirley E. Barnes, U.S. Ambassador Retired

Lee Camp, Comedian

Darryl Chappell, Member of the Board, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Marino Cordoba, Association for Internally Displaced Afro-Colombians USA (AFRODES)

James Counts Early, Institute for Policy Studies Board Member

Kwame Dixon, Associate Professor of Political Science, Howard University

Eunice Mina Escobar, Afro-Colombian activist, Chicago-Illinois

Brian Finnegan, Global Worker Rights Coordinator, International Department, AFL-CIO

Bill Fletcher, Jr., former president of Trans Africa Forum

Eleanor Goldfield, activist, Art Killing Apathy

James N. Green, National Coordinator, U.S. Network for Democracy in Brazil

Susan Gunn, Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director, Latin America Working Group (LAWG)

Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Eliseo Jacob, Ph.D., Howard University

Joseph F. Jordan, Joseph F. Jordan, activist and cultural worker, Durham, NC

Daniel Kovalik, Adjunct Professor, International Human Rights, Pittsburgh School of Law

Viviana Krsticevic, Executive Director, The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)

Bill Lucy, Founder Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU)

Alex Main, Director of International Policy, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

Yvette Modestin, RCAA-Regional Council of Africans in the Americas

Chloe Noel, Faith Economy Program Manager, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Ofunshi Obà Koso, President, Yoruba Cuba Association

Ted Piccone, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution*

Carlos Quesada, Executive Director, Institute for Race and Equality

Fred Redmond, International Vice-President, United Steelworkers, USW

Euclides Rengifo, CEO, The Cultural Union of Afro-descendant Heritage (UNIAFRO)

Roland Roebuck, Afro-Latino activist, Washington, DC

Gimena Sanchez, Director for the Andes, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Jessica Srikantia, Associate Professor, George Mason University*

Nicola Worcman, Psychiatrist, Hubert Humphrey Fellow (Fulbright Scholarship 2018-2019), USA

Coletta Youngers, Senior Fellow, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Crystal Yuille, Afro-Diaspora Activist