The Vinicius Junior 'tsunami' has put our country in the global focus of racism, but Orlando Leite, Brazilian ambassador, does not believe that Spain is xenophobic. "Spain is not a country of racists but reality and the perception of reality are two very different things," he tells EL MUNDO from Bilbao, where he is on an institutional visit.
What is the status of the Vinicius case now? I received two calls on Tuesday morning from the director general of the National Police. He warned me of the arrest of four people for the doll (refers to the appearance of a doll hanging from a bridge with the sign 'Madrid hates Real') and three others for what happened last Sunday in Mestalla. Yes, twice with Juan Fernández Trigo, Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World. The first thing we talked about had already been the subject of my last visit to his office, which was because of the doll. Then I went with a note to show my disagreement. He apologized on behalf of the Spanish government.What do you think of the measures taken in the wake of the events in Mestalla both inside and outside the stadium? I think they are a good start, but we still hope that those responsible will be punished. The fact also has a very large impact for not being the first time, there have been nine. The surprising thing is that there was not a single conviction for those crimes, the teams did not lose points, there was no stadium closure... Aren't you surprised that the arrests for the bridge doll are just now, shortly after what happened in Valencia? The coincidence was not good. We have an excellent relationship with the National Police and it is not that simple. The important thing is that they have been arrested and the process has begun, to see now how it ends. The judges' interpretation of the facts now may lead to one path or another.
Do you think that this complaint by Vinicius Junior will mark a before and after in the fight against racism in Spain? We must combat racism and sport is a perfect speaker to do so. I hope it's a turning point on the subject, yes. It was a very sad episode, but we hope it will help change the mentality. It is incredible that in 2023 there are this kind of insults in a society like the Spanish.Why always Vinicius and not another player? He is very good and also does not bow his head to insults. Vinicius Junior already suffered two similar incidents in his country in 2017 and 2018 and, at the time, also branded Brazil racist. Xenophobia is in Spain, Brazil and everywhere. The question is not the presence of racism in this place or another, but the way and the will to combat it. Today in Brazil we have a ministry that deals precisely with this and that is represented by the Minister of Racial Equality of Brazil, Anielle Franco.Has the image of the country changed after the departure of former president Jair Bolsonaro? I arrived in Spain a year ago and Bolsonaro was president of the country, but Lula da Silva gives more importance to this issue, hence the creation of the ministry. In addition, the minister has a very high profile and is known for her strong stance against xenophobia. Neymar Jr. and other stars who support Vinicius also supported Bolsonaro at the time. Everyone responds in their own way to these unpleasant situations. One thing is the defense of values and the other is the political position. That's why people voted for Lula. It happens all over the world, there are many governments supported by the extreme right, but each person takes stock and chooses.
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