Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Martín Rocca, Netflix’s ’50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case,’ originally titled ’50 segundos: el caso Fernando Báez Sosa’ in the original Spanish, explores the case of Fernando Báez Sosa, who was beaten to death by a group of men on January 18, 2020. The men, collectively dubbed as “the rugby players,” attacked Fernando outside Le Brique nightclub in Villa Gesell, Argentina, and the entire incident was captured on video. The show’s title, mentioning 50 seconds, calls back to the duration of this violent episode and portrays the national reaction to this tragedy by combining real-life footage, testimonies, and interviews with both Fernando’s loved ones and the attackers and their family members. With this balanced perspective, this documentary mini-series probes into how violence and its aftermath affect not just an individual’s life, but also a zeitgeist in and of itself.
Graciela and Silvino Lost Their Only Child in a Violent Tragedy
Silvino Báez and Graciela Sosa grew up in Carapeguá, a region in central Paraguay, before immigrating to Argentina in the hopes of a better lifestyle. The duo tied the knot on January 23, 1999, and about two years later, on March 2, 2001, the couple welcomed Fernando Báez Sosa into their lives. The family lived in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, where Silvino worked as a doorman, and Graciela worked as a hospice worker. Owing to Fernando’s scholarship, they were able to provide for his education at Marianistas de Caballito, a high-end school in Buenos Aires, following which he bagged an opportunity to study law at the University of Buenos Aires. In January 2020, Fernando began planning a trip with his best friends to Villa Gesell, and Graciela recalled that her son was particularly excited, as this could be one of the last times the friends got together before they went on their separate trajectories.
Fernando’s trip to Villa Gesell, however, ended in tragedy. On the morning of January 18, Graciela and Silvino woke up to news of the assault on their son, which ultimately took his life. The incident shook the parents to their core and simultaneously lit up a fire for justice, not just in them but in the collective consciousness of the entire country. At an inter-religious ceremony at the Parque Libres del Sur amphitheatre in Dolores, Graciela spoke to a massive crowd about the gaping hole her son’s passing had left in her life, and that the only way forward was not by a quest for vengeance, but one for justice. A full three years later, on February 6, 2023, the court found eight men guilty of the murder of Fernando Báez Sosa, and five of them were sentenced to life imprisonment, with the other three getting a sentence of 15 years each. Reacting to this, Graciela and Silvino expressed the feeling that their son was finally at peace.
Graciela and Silvino Have Continued Rallying For Justice and Against Violence
Reportedly, Graciela and Silvino appealed the initial court verdict, in the hopes that the Buenos Aires Criminal Court of Cassation would rule a life imprisonment for all eight attackers. However, the court upheld the initial judgment, bringing things to the present, where Fernando’s parents continue to use their voice to raise awareness about violence and the intersectional elements that play into it. In an open letter, Silvino claimed that the attack on his son had racist undertones and that the attackers felt a sense of racial superiority while exerting force upon Fernando.
While the men responsible for Fernando’s death were all brought behind bars, Graciela and Silvino’s journey is far from over. In the present, the couple continues to organize campaigns to raise awareness about violence among youth. In 2024, Graciela reached out to the mother of a young Argentine man who was stabbed to death during the New Year’s celebrations. This moment of heartfelt solidarity highlighted the long-term commitment Fernando’s parents have to justice in all its forms. In the same month, the couple assembled a rally and an interreligious mass on the steps of the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires, where Graciela recounted how difficult it had been to process her emotions, bit by bit, this entire time. As such, the parents’ journey has been one of more than just closure, as they actively continue to raise their voice against violence.
Read More: Máximo Pablo Thomsen: Where is Fernando Báez Sosa’s Killer Now?
