Former President Bolsonaro ordered to pay damages for racist comments

Jair Bolsonaro to pay 1 million reais ($188,865)in damages for collective moral harm stemming from racist comments he made while in office.
The inquiry originated from Bolsonaro’s statements to a Black supporter who approached him in May 2021 and asked to take a picture. The former president joked, saying he was seeing a cockroach in the man’s hair. He also compared the style to a “cockroach breeding ground,” implying the hair was unclean.
Bolsonaro’s legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His defense had previously told media outlets that the former leader’s remarks were intended as jokes rather than racist statements, denying any intent to cause offense.