O caso Joaquim Borges Rodrigues

This paper examines the case of Joaquim Borges Rodrigues, debated in the Provincial Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro in 1878, to explore the tensions and contradictions of the Brazilian slave system and the interpretation of the 1824 Constitution. In September 1878, inquiries led by police chief Pedro Augusto de Moura Carijó, involving severe physical assaults against enslaved individuals, generated significant controversy in Barra Mansa and sparked a heated debate in the Provincial Assembly. Deputy Joaquim Leite Ribeiro de Almeida opposed police intervention, defending property rights, while Deputy José Barbosa Torres supported the legality of police actions and the need for justice. An analysis of the parliamentary proceedings and a review of the literature, including works by both imperial-era and contemporary scholars, was crucial for understanding the power dynamics and legal interpretations at play in this case.