Wiesenthal Center Warns of Failed Neo-Nazi Attack in Brazil

February 15, 2023

Buenos Aires - A teenager wearing a swastika armband attacked the facade of his school in Monte Mor, a small town 120 km from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with homemade Molotov cocktails.

The authorities quickly detained him, without any major consequences.

The young man, dressed entirely in black, had in his possession an ax and several plastic bottles prepared to be used as explosive devices.

“While we are reassured by the way the authorities acted in subduing the attacker and that there were no casualties or significant damage, we are concerned about the episode itself. The worrying increase in neo-Nazism in Brazil must be called to attention in order to disarm its spread,” said Dr. Ariel Gelblung, Director of the Wiesenthal Center for Latin America.

Dr Gelblung concluded: "We hope that the change of government in Brazil will not stop the process of integration of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Anti-Semitism and the determination to sustain a firm stance against anti-Semitism from the authorities. Events like the one in Monte Mor should serve as an alert.”

For further information, please contact Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 11 49695365, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).