THE TIME HAS COME
TO REVEAL... 

Together with my late grandfather, Maria del Carmen Castro, my father and I, we planned the Trip to Buenos Aires in 1996, and a friend of ours who lives there recommended the Hotel Salles, where we made a 10-day advance reservation.

We bought round-trip air tickets on the VASP airline taking advantage of a promotion that required us to stay 10 days. Return should be 10 days after departure.

Ready to board on the morning of September 28, 1996 at Galeão Airport in Rio de Janeiro, an absurd, inexplicable and unfounded impediment had arisen at the Federal Police for Luis, my father, to leave the country. we missed the flight, being informed that our luggage had been checked on the plane without us on board.  

This impediment was very strange and suspicious, as my father had already traveled 3 times before without any problem, twice in 1984 and once in 1993, when the three of us together went to Buenos Aires to do a banking procedure for my grandmother (who was Argentina ), when he left Banco de la Nación Argentina for Banco do Brasil to receive his retirement and pension here in Brazil.

They claimed to have appeared in the system an arrest warrant in his name, which caused us to startle and nervous without imagining what the reason could be. Never committed any crime! Curiously, they didn't arrest him, didn't inform him of what it was and let him go.  We understand that it was a forced strategy to prevent him from leaving the country and interrupting our trip. I could understand where the interference might have come from... because there was interference, it was obvious.

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Well... in that, our luggage left with the plane.  It was composed of four paintings by Pedrini, packed in three packages plus four travel pockets with our personal belongings.

Among the paintings were “Portrait of Academic Roberto Marinho”, “Brio”, “Apocalyptic” and “Jesus of Nazareth”.

We were desperate and very worried that it would be lost, as it was very important and valuable baggage!  The only plausible option was to take another flight later to retrieve the luggage in Buenos Aires, and so did my Grandmother and I. My father, unable to board, decided to return home and stay in Rio de Janeiro. We were very sad and afflicted with the whole situation that had run over us and forced us to separate.  

Still at Galeão, we divided the total money we had set aside for the trip, around 1,500 dollars, so that he could arrive in Buenos Aires in another way, even if a few days later.
It was a very tense moment for the three of us, extremely distressing, as a trip that was supposed to be perfect turned into a disaster.

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My father tried to lift the blockade that had appeared at the time of boarding, going that same day at the Federal Police Headquarters downtown, but to no avail. So what did he do? Began an Odyssey.

He asked Vasp to reverse the international ticket (which would take about 15 days) and bought another domestic Rio-Iguaçu ticket for the following day; there, he crossed the Ponte da Amizade on foot to Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, where he boarded a commercial jet from Guarany Airport to Asunción, and then boarded an international flight to Buenos Aires by the Aerolíneas Argentinas Airline that carried the Paraguayan Soccer Team. It was an unnecessary “adventure” that ended up burdening our costs and compromising the financial availability that we had set aside to make a smooth and guaranteed trip.  

My grandmother and I boarded a flight in the late afternoon of September 28, 1996, taking approximately 3 hours of flight, until arriving at around 9 pm at Ezeiza Airport.
It was then that a stressful situation began that lasted at least 7 hours.
When we went to get our luggage, we were startled because she didn't show up. We had to wait at the airport for hours as we watched people leave and the airport emptying and turning off the lights.

VASP employees had disappeared.  We were very worried and scared without really knowing what was going on.

In the airport lobby, a young man approached us, offering us transportation. He had a 10 seater van. He handed me his card (which I keep to this day!) and said he would wait for us. I didn't want to arrest him, as I had no idea how long it would take us to sort out the release of our luggage. But he insisted he would wait for us. Outside, he watched us and followed the development of the situation. He never lost sight of us. I found his attitude curious. I almost suspected. I think they put him there to take care of us.

Approximately two hours later I saw two VASP employees passing by and asked: where is our luggage?

One of them came to us and said he was going to find out. A little later she returned saying that they could not find her.  

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I complained and said I couldn't be gone. So I asked him to search and find our luggage.

As our belongings had gone on an earlier flight, it might have been stored in a specific location reserved for the luggage of passengers on international flights, but that was no reason to say it was gone.  Also because I had the tags that were given to us in the morning when we checked the volumes of our luggage at the boarding counter, still in Rio de Janeiro.  Then he was worried because I had the vouchers in hand. A luggage with so many volumes does not disappear from nowhere, mainly containing Works of Art.

We wait and wait for a few more hours until the VASP employee shows up with the four travel bags we had taken with our personal belongings.  That's when I asked him where the paintings were.  He replied that he didn't know, he hadn't thought.  Again insist and demanded that he find the paintings.

The wait continued for a few more hours.  Finally, the head of Customs at the Airport came to talk to us, who brought only two packets of paintings containing three paintings.  I carefully tore a corner of the wrapping paper to see if it was the paintings we had taken.  Checked.  One was still missing, the most important: the “Portrait of Academic Roberto Marinho”.  This fact caught my attention a lot. So this painting had to be gone?  Why didn't you come along with the others?  It was suspicious... a lot!  

The realization that this Portrait was the motivator of the whole situation was more than obvious. Especially after what happened in Rio at the time of boarding...

Well... continuing with the facts...

I was already impatient, irritated, worried and tense. Faced with my insistence, which was more than obvious and supported by the right to Possession of our private goods, the head of Customs had no choice but to bring the painting, the Portrait. Detail:  when he brought the paintings, they came from his office, which was to the right of the person looking at the airport with his back to the exit on the street. Bags were brought before on the left side. In other words, our luggage was in different places, which did not correspond and gave us more reasons to say that everything happened due to external interference. It was not by chance all this disorder.  

As soon as I recognized and confirmed that the 4 paintings were part of our luggage, there was still another hurdle to overcome. The Chief of Customs took us to his office, me and my Grandpa (poor, she was tired, and no wonder. An 84-year-old lady!)  I didn't want to release us. I had to prove that the paintings were indeed my Father's, since he wasn't there. My simple confirmations and the degree of kinship proven in the identity documents were insufficient for him. That's when I remembered that I had taken a professional book with references to our work, journalistic publications and photos of the apartment where we lived, on Av. Atlântica facing Copacabana Beach, with these paintings on display. He was even ironic with me saying: “la nena vive en una favela”. And a very important detail: I was talking on the phone with someone all the time. What I said, he conveyed, and he seemed to receive instructions on what to do with us. This time, despite his conviction, he was still reluctant to let us go with our luggage. I didn't know what else to do or say. I had never seen myself in a situation like this before. It was tense.  

That's when I thought of pleasing him with one of the three boxes of imported Brazilian coffee that we had bought at Galeão as a gift to Friends and Family. Do you believe he dared to accuse me of bribing him? And he said this to whoever was on the phone with him: “la nena ahora me quiere buy” he said with a laugh... and I replied, of course. Said it wasn't my intention at all. I just thought I'd like to try some genuine coffee from my homeland. It was really a gift! What difference did it make to whom? As expected, he accepted, and as if that wasn't enough, he asked for the three boxes! I was reluctant to hand them over, but he pushed the envelope. And we wanted to get out of there soon. It was already about 3:30 in the morning. Convinced that there was no longer any argument to hold us back, already muttering into the phone, he ended the call and allowed us to leave.

Finally!  

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I tried to find out who he was talking to, but I couldn't do it at all... he was careful not to give the slightest hint of who it was. But apparently he was someone important and influential with an interest in the paintings, which was precisely what he didn't want to release. After all, who would the Chief of Customs at an International Airport be serving?  

I had a lot of courage to face this situation alone, it was not easy for me, and as if that wasn't enough, with an elderly woman who demanded care from me so that I wouldn't get sick. She was also a warrior and was in her native country. He held the bar steady. You behaved well. It didn't give me any work.  

Once released, I called the guy from the transport who had been waiting for us until that time. He helped us carry our luggage to the Van and we left for the Hotel Salles at almost 4am on the 29th of September. I was afraid, there was no one on the streets at dawn. But luckily everything turned out fine. I thanked him for staying. There was no one else with transportation at the Airport.

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At the Hotel, we checked in and paid the first night, which was 100 pesos. I keep the receipt until today! I told him that Dad would arrive a few days later, as the reservation was for 3 people.

We went up to the suite and finally managed to relax and sleep. We were exhausted!

My father was on his way...  

It arrived 3 days later... on the 1st of September. We were relieved to see you well...safe and sound!

On 09/02/1996, in the morning, we took the Portrait to the Consultatio Asset Management Company so that the Owner, Eduardo Costantini, could appreciate it,  as agreed from Rio de Janeiro. We were met by his secretary at the building's reception, who went upstairs and took the painting to Eduardo's office, surprising us for not receiving us personally, which almost provoked our resistance. But as we had agreed, we trusted and accepted that it would go up with Painting. After a considerable wait, the secretary left the elevator, without the Portrait of Dr. Roberto. We asked where the Painting was. In the greatest shamelessness, he first tried to deny that we had given up the Painting, which we replied with conviction, obviously. Also because they had receptionists as witnesses. Still, despite our insistence and indignation, he vehemently refused to return it, and under our threat to call the Police, forcing us to raise our voices at reception, he went back upstairs, and reluctantly, restored the Portrait.  

We were honestly irritated and appalled at what appeared to us to be a blatant robbery attempt. One more actually! But this one was very blatant and direct. Did Costantini imagine he could rob us in front of cameras and witnesses? Did you think we'd leave just like that? The question is: why did you have this attitude?  What made you act like this? The offer had been for him to acquire the Portrait with the condition to present it to Dr. Roberto. We understand that it was a desperate and furtive measure to try to retain the Painting, most likely by indication and at the behest of someone. There is no other plausible explanation for this behavior.

We returned to the Hotel and made contact by telephone with an Art Gallery in the Recoleta neighborhood, a few steps from the luxurious Alvear Palace Hotel, and we arranged to take photos of some Paintings. We went that same day in the afternoon, and they were very interested in seeing our work live, returning the next day with the originals that would certainly be acquired.

That same night at 7:46 PM on the 2nd of September, from the Hotel Salles, my father decided to send a Fax to João Roberto Marinho warning him that our intention to sell the Portrait of his Father to the Costantini Collector had not worked out. , giving him the opportunity to negotiate Painting directly with us as a gift to his Father, before we offered it to other Art Galleries, in case he manifested his disinterest.  

I had a bad feeling and asked my Father not to send this fax as he would know where we were. But he insisted... I couldn't help it.

The next morning the result came. Very early in the morning, while we were still sleeping, Mr. Julio Cesar Galetti from the Hotel Management unexpectedly called us in the room demanding immediate payment of the outstanding daily rates, as we had only paid one night, despite the fact that I offered the payment daily and the Hotel did not accept , agreeing with us that we will settle everything at the end of the 10 days of booking.  

The money we had available at that moment, with us, was not enough to cover the total, but it was possible to get a good part right and then we would complete the rest. Mr. Galetti did not accept, he insisted that we pay the total at that time. Otherwise we should retire from the suite immediately and leave our belongings until the debt is paid off. It was quite radical in its demand, contrary to the previous provision that payment would be made at the end of the reservation when we left the Hotel.  

We were in the middle of the period... there were still 5 days to complete the reservation. We had money to receive right there in Buenos Aires. There would be no problem with us paying for the entire stay. 
Immediately afterwards, they vehemently insisted that we should leave the Hotel, making a point of retaining all our luggage, including the 4 Works of Art, but without leaving any evidence in writing, refusing to give us vouchers.  

Why wasn't it a surprise to us?  

We obviously disagree. My Dad and I went down to reception, while my Grandmother stayed in the room, and we tried to come to a reasonable agreement. It didn't help, they were irreducible!

We then looked for the Police, who advised us to contact the Colégio de Escrivães to register the situation.

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In this way, we called and they sent Escrivã Mónica Iglesias to draw up a Notary Public's Office, who started at 2:50 pm the account of the circumstances, leaving a record of the situation and the inventory of our belongings that would be kept in the Hotel. It was a private service for which we paid 200 pesos.  

Interestingly, when Ms. Mónica arrived at the Hotel, they alleged that we wanted to leave without paying, trying to justify her arbitrary and unjustified act that she had been wrong with the truth. It was an outright lie, as we were sleeping when they woke us up with the demand. They wanted to stop her from going up to our suite to inventory our belongings, but they couldn't help it at our insistence. We had to enforce our right. We wanted her to testify that we didn't try to withdraw, much less without paying, as they accused us. Our things were spread out in the suite and not ready for us to leave with everything.  

Still in the Suite, he described each of the Paintings as follows:

“... “Brio” measuring 50 x 65 cm (1988) valued according to Mr. Pedrini at 10 million dollars; “Apocalyptic” (1989) 80 x 40 cm whose valuation according to Mr. Pedrini is 7 million dollars; “Jesus of Nazaret” 78 x 58 cm (1980) valued at 1 million dollars; "Portrait of Academic Roberto Marinho"  72 x 49 cm and valued according to Mr. Pedrini at 100 Million Dollars (1993/1996). These last two have been published in several newspapers of the Federative Republic of Brazil... wrapped in wood and plastic paper”

Before it was finished, Mr. Galetti went to the suite and demanded that we continue the inventory at the reception since our belongings would be kept in the Hotel warehouse, forcing us to go downstairs, and so we had to proceed, having already arranged everything.  

On the ground floor, Manager Nicolás Pujatti was present, and in front of him, the Escrivã continues the inventory, complementing the 4 Paintings:

"... 1 black pocket, 1 blue pocket, 1 black and yellow backpack, 1 sky pocket and 1 gray pocket..."

They gave us 7 identification cards of each volume with the number of suite 408 and they kept everything in a closed compartment that was located behind the Concierge or Reception.

It closed at 4:25 pm, confirming everything reported, the Manager Mr. Pujatti, to whom we handed over the key to the Suite, refused to do so.  

They left us with the clothes on our back, in the middle of winter, very cold and without eating anything that day, as we hadn't even had breakfast, and with a Mrs. Elderly woman who had passed out in the hotel's hall in front of such aggression. Not even a glass of water was offered! Total lack of consideration or respect!  

We left and called an old friend who had a Family Hotel in the Center, where we concluded our stay, paid with our money, until we could return to Rio de Janeiro by Vasp, according to the promotion that forced us to return after 10 days.

We were left with our plans interrupted, without the Paintings and without our belongings in order to continue what had motivated the trip. They usurped our right and freedom of decision. They ran us over. We were scared and angry at the same time, ultra alert!
 

They prevented us from going to the Casa Rosada Museum, where we had made an appointment with the Director and other Art Galleries that we scheduled.

So we went to my Uncle Grandpa's house to see if he could help us. He was a retired Federal Policeman. He was a little ill and sad with widowhood, and with financial difficulties that prevented him. But he let us call João Roberto Marinho here in Brazil, and his Secretariat said that we were to look for the Brazilian Embassy in Bs. As. where they could help us. We were suspicious and scared, which was quite natural after everything that happened to us. And at this point we consider João Roberto responsible for what happened at the Hotel right after I sent him the fax. He was unable to return to us directly with seriousness and decency; he preferred to act behind his back, using his influence and economic power to usurp by force what belonged to us. Your interference is obvious! After all, he, Dr. Roberto's favorite Son, had to get it right while others had failed. And finally got it!  

We decided not to go to the embassy. They could kidnap us! We expected the worst! We were traumatized and terrified!  

My Grandmother was able to receive her retirement and pension there in Buenos Aires, which helped to make up for the budget. We counted on this supplement to cover the costs of the trip. We were pretty loose.

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The day of return to Brazil arrived, September 8, 1996. My Grandmother and I already had plane tickets, and my Father had to buy a bus ticket to return to Brazil. We said goodbye at the bus station in Retiro, with a lot of pain in our heart, as Dad would have a long journey that would take 3 days. From there we went to Ezeiza Airport, where we both boarded the plane. We were desolate, sad, distressed and apprehensive.  

A stunning sunset that lit up the interior of the plane soothed our hearts a little... and at dusk, the stars followed us... we were flying beside them... it was magical! We interpreted it as a natural compensation from the Universe for all the suffering we had gone through.  

Arriving at Galeão, in Rio de Janeiro, we were intercepted by two Flight Attendants who asked me to buy some bottles of whiskey at the Duty Free. I was a little suspicious at the time, but I accepted. He gave me dollars to pay, directing me to keep the change for the favor I did him. It was tremendous luck because we didn't have enough money to go home. We lived in Copacabana. So, at the airport exit, I delivered the purchase and we took a taxi. We finally got home!

In the following days, we received collect calls from my Father, who kept us informed of his trip. 
It arrived 3 days later, safe and sound!  

We breathe a sigh of relief!  

Trip finished!  

Now a new phase began: THE RESCUE of our luggage held at the Hotel Salles!

...
 

By: Rosângela Jassé Silva Pedrini

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