While Carnaval do Brazil is the South American country’s biggest celebration, it’s also a way to speak out on political and social issues that affect the most vulnerable members of society. This year, as Carnaval unfolded, many protested President Jair Bolsonaro and his right-wing politics. Seemingly in response, Bolsonaro tweeted a lewd video to demonize the larger-than-life party and the queer community.
On Tuesday, he posted a video of a man – purportedly filmed during Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro – pleasuring himself before another one urinates on him in front of a crowd of people. “I don’t feel comfortable showing it, but we have to expose the truth so the population are aware of their priorities,” Bolsonaro tweeted. “This is what Brazilian Carnival street parties have turned into.”
Following his tweet, people criticized him for sharing explicit content and for trying to unfairly paint Carnaval, which has roots in African culture, as something negative. While things can get wild at Carnaval, his unverified video makes it seem like this is something that’s happening everywhere during the celebration. It targets the LGBTQ community, which he has previously attacked. Bolsonaro once said that his sons wouldn’t “become” gay because “they were very well educated.”
Others also noted that he was acting out because of the celebration’s focus on him. “You are pathetic,” Senator Humberto Costa tweeted. “The whole of Brazil is on the streets opposing you. This Carnival made that clear.”
In Olinda, revelers reportedly threw beer cans and ice to a giant doll of Bolsonaro. And in Rio, people stood outside of his home and condemned his family’s alleged ties to mafia gangs.
The tweet is no longer up, but Bolsonaro hasn’t apologized. When the phrase #GoldenShowerPresident (as did #ImpeachmentBolsonaro) began trending on Instagram, Bolsonaro once again took to Twitter to ask, “What is a golden shower?”