Son of jailed former Brazilian president says spokesperson for ‘national symbol’ sandals is ‘openly left wing’
Leaderless since its figurehead was jailed for attempting a coup, Brazil’s far right has found a new nemesis: the flip-flop brand Havaianas, which has been “cancelled” by Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters over a television advert.
The controversy stems from the actor Fernanda Torres – the star of I’m Still Here, the Brazilian film that won an Oscar for best international feature – saying in the ad that she hoped audiences would not start 2026 “on the right foot”, but “with both feet”.
Bolsonaro supporters interpreted the remark as a jab at the right and called for a boycott, echoing actions by Donald Trump’s backers against Bud Light, Keurig machines, Kellogg’s cereals and even Beyoncé.
One of the former president’s sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro – whose mandate was recently revoked after he abandoned his post as a congressman and moved to the US to lobby Trump to retaliate against Brazil over his father’s trial – recorded a video in which he throws a pair of Havaianas into a bin.
