Chilean Executive Detained in Brazil for Racism and Homophobia: Germán Naranjo of Landes Fishing Company

Original article: Noticia del chileno racista y homofóbico detenido en Brasil dio la vuelta al mundo: Germán Naranjo era gerente de una industria pesquera

The Case of the Chilean Executive from the Fishing Industry Arrested in Brazil for Racism and Homophobia That Has Gone Viral Worldwide

On board LATAM Airlines flight LA8070 from São Paulo to Frankfurt, Chilean citizen Germán Naranjo Maldini became the center of a serious incident of racism and homophobia captured in a viral video.

According to reports, Naranjo attempted to open the plane’s door, and when stopped by the crew, he shouted phrases such as «smell of black,» «black monkey,» and «monkeys belong in trees,» alongside homophobic remarks directed at a flight attendant. This prompted a formal complaint to the Brazilian Federal Police.

News agencies like CNN have extensively covered the case, branding it a new, embarrassing episode of discrimination with significant impact in the region.

La Nación Argentina reported that Naranjo was arrested on Friday, May 15, at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport while returning to Brazil for a layover. He is currently held in the Guarulhos Detention Center, awaiting further legal proceedings.

What had not been widely reported until now is Naranjo’s professional connection to the Chilean fishing industry. He served as a manager at Landes, a company with over 60 years of history in the industrial fishing sector based in Talcahuano, Biobío Region, and also connected to the salmon farming industry.

According to information published by Radio Biobío, the firm specializes in processing frozen products such as horse mackerel and hake, and producing meals, oils, and peptones derived from salmon. Since 2021, Landes has been part of the Salmon Chile industry association.

Following the viralization of these events, Landes issued an internal statement which Radio Biobío obtained. In the statement, Landes condemned all discriminatory behaviors, whether racist, homophobic, or any form, expressing that such conduct is «openly incompatible with the values» of the organization and their Non-Discrimination Policy.

Diario Concepción also reported that the Biobío fishing company Landes decided to proactively suspend Naranjo from his duties due to the racist and homophobic actions that occurred on the flight, which were revealed through the viral video.

It should be noted that the executive was out of Chile for activities related to his role: he was traveling to Germany to participate in the international fair Interzoo 2026, as reported by Biobío.

Legally, Brazil tightened its laws against racism and homophobia starting in 2023. As La Nación reminded, the country equated racial insult with the crime of racism, making it imprescriptible and without the right to bail. Sentences range from two to five years in prison, along with fines.

LATAM Airlines condemned the incident in a statement and ensured it is fully cooperating with the Federal Police, providing psychological support and legal assistance to the crew member who was victimized in the assault.

Meanwhile, the Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Movilh) stated, «No difference, conflict, or discussion can justify discriminatory expressions of this nature, especially when they come from someone in a public space and international transit. We demand the Chilean Government publicly address this situation. What occurred constitutes a serious discriminatory attack that has crossed borders and projects a shameful image of our country abroad. Silence in the face of such acts only normalizes violence and hate… Chile cannot tolerate that its citizens promote hate speech inside or outside the country. Discrimination is not an opinion: it is a violation of human rights.”