Rio Gringa

2009

I'd like to take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to end the year on a high note.

This has been one of the most roller coaster-like years of my life, one that definitively changed the path I would take. The year began in Brazil, where Eli and I started his visa application process that would take a little over six months to complete. We did a lot of traveling at the beginning of the year, hanging out in Arraial do Cabo and Buzios with both of our families. There was the Globo Rio incident, and I still have not told the entirety of that story because it's kind of ridiculous and let's leave it at that. After that, though, my blog really took off.

Things finally started progressing with the Goldman case early in the year, and both Eli and I became more involved in the Bring Sean Home efforts. I made the rounds in Rio to the places I hadn't yet visited, trying to take advantage of my time knowing that I would be leaving soon. I made new friends, and fell out of touch with old ones. I continued volunteering at the ballet school. I still found it difficult to ignore all of the poverty and violence in the city. I spent most of my time in my beloved neighborhood of Botafogo, eating out, trolling the bookstores, walking along the orla, seeing lots of movies, and escaping the heat at Praia Shopping.

I tried to be good, trying to practice Spanish and exercise, but turned out not to have much time for the former and patience for the latter. I drank a lot of fruit juice, stressed out a lot, and didn't spend nearly enough time in the sun. Toward the end, things started getting unpleasant due to a number of factors, and I was ready to go home.

In May, I came home to New York, and Eli stayed in Rio to wait for his visa interview. I had my first job interview three days after I came home, and would have another ten or twelve over the next six months. I came really close, but didn't manage to get anything. I fell into a bit of a funk.

Nevertheless, coming home meant seeing my family and friends again, which was necessary for my sanity. I was grateful and relieved to find that despite the fact that I'd basically disappeared for two years, I still had so many people I could count on.I haven't had the best luck since I've been back, but I do have them.

In June, Eli got his visa and came to the United States for the very first time. His first few weeks were a whirlwind, showing him the sites and overloading him with touristy stuff.

In July, we got married, though we have yet to have our big wedding. We only had ninety days to get hitched, since he came on a fiance visa. Luckily, though, since we did everything quickly, Eli's residency went through in just two months.

We spent the summer lazing around, traveling a bit in the tri-state area, taking walks in the woods, hanging out in Manhattan, and getting Eli accustomed to American life. He took a bartending course, and then got a job a few weeks later. He's still working there, but he was promoted to assistant manager. There are so many fantastic stories from his job, but I haven't quite gotten permission to write about them yet...they're coming in 2010.

In the meantime, I moped, did some writing, and applied to dozens of jobs. Finally, in October, I was hired for a temp job where I am still working. I got a second temp job in December, where I am also working. Though I'm technically working five days a week, I have no benefits, and essentially no job security. Eli still doesn't have health insurance. I'd mostly been applying to non-profit jobs, but discovered that my first temp job, which is for-profit, turned out to be a wonderful place to work. I just hope I can stay.

Even though I came home to discover just how bad the crisis was, things turned out fine, at least for the time being. I'm lucky, incredibly, terribly lucky, to have an amazing, wonderful husband, a generous and understanding family, a (warm) roof over my head, great friends, and at least a semblance of a career path. We still have a long way to go and some hurdles left to clear, but we're getting there. I just hope next year there are less bumps along the way.

Press Conference

Check out the press conference yesterday and see and hear for yourself what is actually going on with the Goldmans, since certain news networks have a difficult time getting their facts straight.

Watch live streaming video from asbury_park_press_video at livestream.com

So about that...

Oh hai guys. Today I had wanted to share with you my article from the FPA Blog about how Brazil is set to become one of the world's pharmaceutical giants, but then this little piece of news popped up.

[However, I would love any input Brazilians have on how prescription drugs are viewed/perceived in Brazil, because I have seen very mixed things, as opposed to the U.S. where people are generally trusting or even dependent on these types of medications. Then I can use your input for another post.]

So...remember how Sean's Brazilian family said they would seek a peaceful solution for visitation? And how, on NBC today, David explained how he hugged Silvana before leaving with Sean? And how the family wouldn't appeal the STF's decision? That is, the highest court in the nation? That upheld a decision that ultimately identified them as "second" abductors?

Yeah, they were just kidding.

Tonight, the family announced that they will in fact appeal the decision, and had the audacity to say, in a public statement:

"Caso os Tribunais superiores venham a modificar a decisão do TRF-2 (Tribunal Federal Regional 2ª Região), a família confia em que serão tomadas pelas autoridades brasileiras todas as medidas para que haja o retorno imediato de Sean ao Brasil", afirmou a família em nota, que reiterou ainda a sua confiança na Justiça e que acredita que o retorno do brasileiro Sean ocorra com a maior brevidade."

That is, if the Brazilian courts overturn the TRF-2's decision, the family is confident that the Brazilian authorities will take the appropriate measures to ensure Sean's immediate return to Brazil. The family believes Sean will be returned to Brazil in no time.

Meanwhile, the legal minds over at BSH said the family had filed the appeal before today, after the decision was made, but that they have almost no chance of anything coming of it, even if it is in their favor. It will make things more complicated as they seek to visit Sean in the United States, though.

Sigh.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Good versus evil

There have been quite a few interesting op-ed pieces on the Goldman case, my favorite being Reinaldo Azevedo's second fantastic article on the case, so it's hard to find new points to make. So today, I just want to write a bit about good versus evil, especially how my vision of morals and evil was completely transformed in the past year and a half, largely in part because of the case. [Sidebar: for a really funny view of good vs. evil, check out this episode from Community.]

I've learned that evil has no bounds; it doesn't recognize race, class, gender, nationality, or age. While some were quick to villainize Brazil as a people and a country, the truth of the matter is that the group of people responsible for the crimes and subsequent fiasco of the abduction was in fact very small. In the end, the group of Brazilians responsible for supporting David and helping him in his mission to recover his son was much bigger and thankfully, more powerful.

It seems to me that evil, that is, an immoral act consciously causing harm to others for ultimately selfish or cruel goals, comes down to a few simple factors: upbringing, genes, and circumstance. When a child is taught that entitlement and bending the rules for his own benefit are correct, he will grow up thinking that way. Sometimes, though, I think people have an inclination to cruel behavior, regardless of upbringing. But the last factor is the trickiest. Sometimes, people suffer terrible experiences that drive them to commit cruel acts out of spite or anger. I can understand how the death of a loved one could drive someone to do terrible things.

I hated that US vs. Brazil argument, especially when it came down to morals, with one side arguing that they were morally superior to the other. It's useless to even go down that road. But I do think that the fundamental issue about good vs. evil comes down to consequences.

When I think back on my own life, to when I did cruel things, it helps put it all in perspective. Think about your own life; everyone has done something cruel at least once. In my case, in high school, there were times when I deliberately did mean things to hurt others (teenage girls are horrible creatures), and while none of it was illegal, it was immoral. Time, maturity, and experience helped me stop, but I definitely would have learned quicker if there had been immediate negative consequences. But there never were.

It seems to me that evil tends to perpetuate itself when those who commit evil suffer no consequences. Impunity encourages evildoers, showing that they can get away with anything, especially people with power. One of the best possible outcomes of this case, besides the obvious one of justice being done and Sean going home, is that evil  has been punished. Certainly, it would be better if it were punished through the courts and legal system, but those who committed acts of cruelty have been punished, each in their own way, be it a destroyed career, a tarnished reputation, or the loss of a child. Life has presented its own form of justice. We can only hope that this lesson will serve others who would commit similar acts, or those who already have.

The Brazilian judicial system is notorious for its slowness and impunity, and this case has served as a prime example of just how devastating the consequences can be for a single person, let alone an entire nation. Brazil, like the United States or any other country, must contend with the forces of good and evil. But when the government--not just karma--starts to deliberately and effectively crack down on impunity, there will be much more hope for the millions of good people who suffer from the evil doings of a few. In the aftermath of the Goldman case, my greatest hope for Brazil is that the case serves as a lesson for formal institutions, in order to benefit Brazilians who have suffered injustice, indecency, and impunity just like David and Sean.

The Goldman Files

Here, you can find past posts about the Goldman kidnapping case to get a general overview of what has happened. For more information, please see the Bring Sean Home website.

FACT: Sean Goldman, an American citizen, was abducted from New Jersey on June 16th, 2004 by his Brazilian-born mother, Bruna Goldman. When she arrived in Brazil, she called her husband, American David Goldman, to inform him she was divorcing and was never returning to the US. She told him if he wanted to see his son again, he would have to play by her rules. David then began the legal process to get his son back through the Hague Convention. Bruna, meanwhile, got a unilateral divorce (not valid in the US) with the help of her new lawyer, JPLeS. He is a well-known family lawyer who defends parents whose children have been kidnapped. Bruna married her divorce lawyer shortly after and got pregnant. However, Bruna died during childbirth, though her baby survived. JPLeS then issued a new birth certificate for Sean, essentially erasing his real father's name. David continued the legal fight to get his son, which seemed clear cut now that Sean's mother had passed. David was granted visitation rights to see Sean under the care of his current abductor, JPLeS, in October 2008. However, when David showed up for the visitation, there was no one home: JPLeS had kidnapped Sean and fled the city. The police didn't go after him. Later that week, JPLeS entered a suit suing David for slander and using Sean's name in public. The courts then issued a new ruling in December 2008: a "mediation hearing" between David and JPLeS would be held in February 2009. David was able to visit his son for the first time in four years after this "hearing." It wasn't until June 2009, thought, that a Rio court ruled to send Sean home. But the decision was appealed, and Sean remained in Brazil. An appeals court ruled to send Sean home in December 2009, and after a bogus appeal to the highest court by Sean's grandmother, a Supreme Court justice ruled to send Sean home. Sean returned to the United States on December 24, 2009, nearly a year and a half after his mother's death and five years after his abduction.

THEORY: Bruna, a spoiled and wealthy Carioca, grew tired of her "dull" and "humble" American life and wanted to go back to being a tropical princess in Rio, where she had rich, well-connected friends. Her parents agreed, and pressured her to abduct Sean and bring him to Rio where he could live "the good life." She married JPLeS because he fit the bill for her type of husband: rich, powerful, and did I mention rich? Like some wealthy Brazilians, both Bruna and JPLeS didn't feel that the law applied to them, but that they were above the law. JPLeS and his father come from a very famous and wealthy family, who no one ever says "no" to, the kind of family who always calls the shots. After this, though, time will tell how much political power they have left.

Goldman Case Posts:

Finally, December 24, 2009

Big wheel keep on turning, December 23, 2009

The Beginning of the End, December 22, 2009

Scratch that, December 22, 2009

Turning Point, December 21, 2009

House of Cards, December 18, 2009

Cautiously optimistic, December 16, 2009

Video Salada, December 3, 2009

Reader's Suggestions, November 17, 2009

No News is Bad News, September 28, 2009

Brazil News Briefs, August 1, 2009

The wheels keep turning, July 18, 2009

Abductions, July 10, 2009

Brazilian "Justice" Fails Yet Again, June 26, 2009

Vigil, June 17, 2009

An open letter to Congressman Chris Smith, June 16, 2009

Breakdown, June 11, 2009

D-Day, June 10, 2009

Showdown, June 4, 2009

An open letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, June 3, 2009

Victory, June 1, 2009

Ja vi tudo, April 22, 2009

Update: Goldman Case, March 26, 2009

Toma! March 18, 2009

Hysteria, March 17, 2009

Fever Pitch, March 14, 2009

The Latest on the Goldman case, March 12, 2009

So help you God, March 10, 2009

Operation: Judge, March 8, 2009

An open email to Ruth de Aquino, March 8, 2009

Goldman on Larry King, March 6, 2009

Hillary Clinton Speaks about the Goldman case, March 5, 2009

SBT Coverage of the Goldman case, March 4, 2009

Estourando, March 3, 2009

Brazilian magazine breaks media blockade, March 1, 2009

Slander, now brought to you by Globo, February 28, 2009

The Media Tidal Wave, February 27, 2009

Breaking News: NYT Covers the Goldman Story, February 23, 2009

NBC Marches On, February 17, 2009

Updates on Goldman, February 14, 2009

Visitation! February 11, 2009

Goldman in Brazil, February 10, 2009

Breaking News, February 5, 2009

The Fall Out: Goldman Kidnapping Case, February 1st, 2009

Dateline, January 31st, 2009

Important News for U.S.-based Readers, January 29th, 2009

Ouch, December 30th, 2008

Stranger than fiction, December 21, 2008

Brazilian Truthiness, November 19th, 2008

An open letter to President Lula, November 12th, 2008

Let freedom ring, November 3rd, 2008

Top Ten Misconceptions about the Goldman Kidnapping Case, October 26th, 2008

Are you serious? October 21st, 2008

Vamos nessa, October 19th, 2008

Covardia, October 6th, 2008

What freedom of the press? October 3rd, 2008

The plot thickens, October 2nd, 2008

A call for help, September 27th, 2008

Finally

The wheels are up and Sean Goldman is home.

In case you're living under a rock, here's how everything went down this morning:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here are the highlights:

--The Brazilian family proved for the last time that the only interests they have in mind are their own, and don't give a damn about Sean's well-being, which could very well cost them any visitation rights they eventually ask for in New Jersey. The US consulate offered a quiet hand over and the Brazilian family purposely flaunted Sean in front of the media. A representative from the consulate says the US government is very angry with the Brazilian family, as are David and his lawyers.

--The Brazilian family lawyer, Sergio Tostes, decided to put the last nail in the coffin that is his international career and screamed at Congressman Chris Smith, "You are a motherfucker!"

--David and Sean took a charter flight with NBC (NOT the US government, as Grobo keeps inaccurately reporting) back to the U.S.

--According to the Brazilian media, the grandmother asked to get on the plane with Sean, but was resoundingly denied.

--The US Congress passed the trade bill yesterday after the Supreme Court decision in Brazil, and Brazil will receive the $2.75 billion in trade preferences this year.

--The media is reporting that David is taking Sean to Disney World for Christmas, where they will spend time bonding before heading to New Jersey.

UPDATE 12/25: The New York Post, which is not at all reliable, especially considering they erroneously reported Brazilian public opinion is overwhelmingly against David and quoted the Brazilian senator who launched the first bogus STF appeal to get "Sean heard," did add some interesting details today. They claim that a US consulate official reported that Tostes flaunted his decision to parade Sean through the streets, claiming, it's a free country, and that Tostes plans to sue the official for slander. They also reported Tostes called Smith a "kidnapper," and screamed at him in front of Sean. But like I said. Not very reliable, so take it with a grain of salt.

And here is the most beautiful take off in history:

Finally, finally, we have justice.

I'm going to do one final post sometime in the next few days just about how it has affected me and some general observations, since this case has changed my life in ways I never imagined.

But to wrap things up:

The Brazilian family has not only managed to bring themselves a lifetime of punishment for committing crimes and violating human rights, but they managed to bring infinite amounts of shame on their entire country. They exposed the judicial system in all its flawed glory, its slowness and at times, its corruption. They exposed Brazil for what it really is, a modern country that still clings to its feudal past, where a single family can manipulate an entire system. They almost even punished the whole country with economic repercussions, though luckily, the Brazilian government managed to intervene. As we know, these people will never go to jail, and they will never pay for what they did (it's possible they will have to pay David's legal fees, though that could take a lifetime to accomplish). But they will spend the rest of their lives in their own personal hell, with their reputation in the toilet and their beloved grandchild/nephew/stepson far, far away. Karma has finally come full circle.

David, meanwhile, has been rewarded for the greatest amount of patience and love I have ever witnessed in a human being. To be honest, I'm not sure I have ever experienced the kind of love David has for Sean, the one no love song or cheesy saying could possible describe. He literally went to the ends of the earth, spent every penny, and put every ounce of his being into getting his son back. He devoted himself to this single mission, one that should never have been this long or difficult. But he prevailed, and his determination really showed. Things will certainly be difficult at the beginning, without question. But if there ever was a love that could heal wounds, David's absolute devotion to his son can, and will.

Big wheel keep on turning

I'm still in shock that this seems to actually be happening, but it is: the wheels are almost up. Today the TRF-2, the appeals court that upheld the June ruling to send Sean Goldman home, ordered Sean's grandmother to bring him to the U.S. consulate by 9AM tomorrow (Thursday). Sean's grandmother, in turn, released a statement to the media with such delusional rantings that I actually feel sorry for her (seriously. this woman seems to have nothing to live for other than Sean. If I had nothing to live for but a single person, I'd lose my marbles, too. But then again, she brought this upon herself, as it is fairly obvious that she helped plan and execute Sean's abduction.)

Luckily, the case seems to be case closed in terms of the courts. Minister Mendes' ironclad decision not only prevented the case from being appealed to the third level of courts, but it has also stood firm against appeals. Technically, the case could have been appealed to this third level after the ruling at the TRF-2, but by appealing straight to the highest court (the STF) with a bogus claim that had already been thrown out by the same court, the family ruined their chances of dragging the case out further. Also, both the Brazilian and American media seem to have missed this, but although the Brazilian family told the international media today that they would no longer appeal, they actually did. According to Conjur, the family appealed Mendes' decision, and it was promptly denied last evening. Booyah.

The case has continued to get tons of coverage between the two countries, and two especially good segments are ones from ABC and NBC. Speaking of the media, did you know that CBS has a Brazilian-born reporter working for them that is a personal friend of the Lins e Silva family? That helps explain their bumbling reporting, lack of accurate information, their hook-up for that disastrous abductor interview a few months back, and their generally poor coverage of the case. (It's not the fact that she's Brazilian--it's the fact that she's part of that crooked clan) But this is sort of a moot point because no one watches CBS, so let's move on.

The U.S. consulate in Rio issued a media advisory tonight that said the following:

"The U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro is pleased that 9 year old Sean Goldman will finally be reunited with his father David.

All legal processes have been resolved and Sean has been ordered to return to the United States with his father.

The U.S. Consulate is doing its utmost to ensure that the reunion will be as smooth as possible. As such, we will facilitate entry, security, and privacy to welcome Sean at the Consulate.

We appeal to the public to respect the space and privacy of Sean and David during this sensitive time."

I'm sure you can read between the lines.

Finally, and I promise it's related:

For awhile, I couldn't get that scene from The Last King of Scotland out of my head. [SPOILER ALERT] At the very end, Nicholas has been beaten practically senseless and he can't see out of one eye because it's so swollen. He manages to sneak onto the plane airlifting the Israeli hostages, and slumps down in the seat so no one can see him. The music swells, and the plane takes off. He looks out the window and nothing seems to have changed, even though everything has changed. He passes over fields and rivers, but nothing too picturesque. The sun is going down, but it's not a spectacular sunset; it's just going down like any other day. Suddenly, Nicholas flashes back to a memory of Ugandan children running past on one of the back country roads. After all that he's been through and all that has happened, the first thing he thinks of is one of the only memories uncorrupted by his horrible journey, one of the only things he can hold on to without feeling pain or panic. Then he returns to reality, which is still too much for him to bear, even though he has escaped and the worst is over. Exhausted, he closes his eyes, and the screen goes black.

This is sort of how I imagine tomorrow will be for David. Finally, FINALLY, the nightmare is over. But not quite, not yet. But very close.