A business exec allegedly hurled vile racist and homophobic slurs at plane passengers and cabin crew after he was blocked from opening a door.
Germán Naranjo Maldini was fired from his managerial role at the Chilean seafood company Landes after video of the abuse went viral — and faces up to five years in prison after being accused of racism and discrimination, La Nacion reported.
He was arrested Friday in São Paulo, Brazil, where he was stopping for a layover — five days after he was filmed making monkey noises and hurling abuse on an LATAM plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany
Video shows him acting unruly after he was blocked from opening the cabin door.
He was heard saying “it is a problem to be gay” — while suggesting black people and Brazilians smell, according to the video translated by the news wire Jam Press.
“He is gay against me, I am not gay, he is gay,” Naranjo said, calling it “a problem to be gay.”
When flight attendants said Naranjo was being “aggressive,” he replied sarcastically, “Oh what a scare.”
He then complained about “the smell of a black person, of a Brazilian” — before making vile monkey noises.
LATAM said it “strongly condemns any discriminatory and violent practices, including acts of racism, xenophobia, and homophobia.”
Naranjo’s now-former employer confirmed he had been “removed” from his commercial manager role. Officials said his behavior was “absolutely incompatible” with its policies.
In 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that hurling homophobic slurs risks a prison sentence of between two and five years, as well as fines.
