More than an "example of a rower," an "example of a Brazilian." Stuart Angel, former Flamengo athlete and youth activist in the fight against the dictatorship, was killed in 1971, but his life, dedicated not only to the club but, above all, to the country, will never be forgotten. Proof of this was the inauguration of a memorial in his honor on the morning of this Thursday (December 09.12th) at Flamengo's nautical headquarters, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, which was like a second home for Stuart.

The event, promoted by Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and the Secretariat of Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic (SDH/PR), was attended by numerous members of Rio de Janeiro's high society, authorities, friends of Stuart, and rowers from Flamengo. President Patricia Amorim, despite not having known the honoree personally, acknowledged his entire struggle while wearing the club's colors and fighting for the country.

"I am convinced that, in these 115 years of history, Flamengo creates much more than great athletes, but also great people. Stuart is proof of that. Everything he did deserves to be honored. I know that everyone here is very emotional and, for me, for Flamengo, it is a huge honor to be part of this moment. The message to the younger generation is that there is no victory without struggle and there is no future without remembering the past; the history," he stated.

Stuart's sister, Hildegard Angel, was moved to tears during the event and expressed her gratitude for the initiative, noting that even after so much time, it is always good to receive tributes for the struggle not only of him, but also of his mother, Zuzu Angel, and his sister-in-law, Sônia. She, who received a plaque from Mauro Ney Palmeira of the Rowing Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FRERJ), also shared a curious story involving her brother.

"It's difficult to speak at a moment of such emotion, but I want to thank everyone present for this tribute. It's wonderful to receive this kind of affection and reminder that there is no country without democracy and freedom. I also want to recall an interesting story. I arrived here some time ago with my son so that he could learn rowing with Buck (Stuart's coach at Flamengo), and he turned to me saying that Stuart's nephew couldn't afford it because he was a leader, very loved by everyone," he emphasized.

Legacy for the future – Minister Paulo Vannuchi, from the SDH/PR (Secretariat for Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic), one of those responsible for the "Indispensable People" series of memorials, emphasized the importance of valuing the Brazilian heroes who fought against the dictatorship, such as Stuart. For him, this type of memorial should be seen not only as a symbol of the past but also as a reminder that what happened during the dictatorship must never be repeated.

"From today on, I have a team in Rio: Flamengo (laughs). I believe this moment was long overdue. It's a day of joy, with inevitable tears, to pay homage to the hero that Stuart was. It's important to remember everything that happened to today's youth, so that it can never happen again," said Vannuchi, whose speech was endorsed by the Minister of Communications, Franklin Martins.

"All of Stuart's families are here. His blood family, his friends, his Flamengo family... I'm very moved by this. I would also like to remind everyone that our youth, of which I was proud to be a part, should be celebrated. We made mistakes, yes, like any human being, but we didn't make two mistakes: we didn't support the dictatorship and we didn't wait for it to end. Today, after suffering torture and being held in dungeons, we are here, outdoors, celebrating a victory, even three or four decades after the dictatorship. The torturers are in hiding. They are the ones living in the dungeons now," he concluded.

Two-time Rio de Janeiro rowing champion alongside Stuart, in 1964 and 1965, Zezé Barros was another who couldn't hide his emotion and fondly recalled moments with his former teammate during the tribute. The same was true for the vice-mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Muniz, and Gabriel Zelero, representative of the Academic Center of Economics at UFRJ, which was named in honor of Stuart Angel.

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