Brazilian Berserkers

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Brazilian protestors assaulted Minnesota lawmakers visiting Rio de Janeiro last week to discuss and debate the upcoming American presidential election:

Anti-American protesters throwing eggs, water and flour chased Minnesota House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen and another U.S. legislator from a Rio de Janeiro university campus last week, according to the two lawmakers and Brazilian news accounts. … An account in the Brazilian newspaper, O Dia, reported that a crowd of 100 surrounded the two U.S. dignitaries in a school auditorium, chanted anti-American slogans and pelted them as they tried to leave.
According to O Dia, some of the protesters threatened to hold the two legislators hostage and decapitate them in the manner of prisoners in Iraq. Mendoza said Monday that she and Paulsen also were threatened with envelopes addressed to them and marked “anthrax.”

I propose a boycott of all Brazilian imports until their government makes a formal apology for the treatment of American legislators in their country. Had something like this happened in the US to visiting dignitaries, our media would react with towering indignation and national debates about the lack of American tolerance would dominate the news. Apparently, in Brazil, this must be a common practice for dealing with people who hold differing opinions, as this happened last week and not a word has been spoken about this until now. The Brazilian governmemt failed to supply proper security for our envoys and have not followed up with any expression of regret for the behavior of their citizens, although the university has apologized to them.
One way to pressure them would be to back off from pushing for debt relief for Brazil. I have no desire to see a country full of out-of-control nutcases get paid for their socialistic insanity and complete lack of manners.