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Participants celebrated with banners, dances, and rituals, highlighting the country”s religious variety. Despite Brazil’s constitutional protection of religious freedom, the rise of neo-Pentecostal churches, especially in Rio, has coincided with increasing intolerance towards Afro-Brazilian religions. This includes verbal abuse, temple destruction, and forced expulsions. From 2018 to 2023, religious intolerance complaints surged by 140.3%. Perpetrators of such crimes face up to five years in prison and fines.
Participants celebrated with banners, dances, and rituals, highlighting the country’s religious variety. Despite Brazil’s constitutional protection of religious freedom, the rise of neo-Pentecostal churches, especially in Rio, has coincided with increasing intolerance towards Afro-Brazilian religions. This includes verbal abuse, temple destruction, and forced expulsions. From 2018 to 2023, religious intolerance complaints surged by 140.3%. Perpetrators of such crimes face up to five years in prison and fines.