BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR Bolsonaro has become embroiled in controversy after sharing footage of a man urinating to denounce the country’s Carnival festival.
Bolsonaro, who has been criticised for his remarks against women and homosexuals, posted the footage of a man urinating on another man’s head to argue against what he sees as moral degeneracy in the country.
In the 40-second clip, which Brazilian media said was filmed on Monday during the Carnival celebrations in Sao Paulo, three men are seen dancing on top of a bus stop.
One of the men is skimpily dressed and with his buttocks visible, and engages in a lewd act while one of his companions urinates on his head as a crowd watches on.
“I don’t feel comfortable showing it, but we have to expose the truth so the population can be aware and always set their priorities,” the president told his 3.4 million Twitter followers.
“This is what many street carnival groups have become in Brazil.”
The video quickly racked up 2.43 million views after the former army officer posted it, splitting opinions in an already divided population.
Some denounced the president for using an isolated scene to attack the country’s popular Carnival, which has been used this year as a platform to protest against Bolsonaro’s intolerance towards minorities.
Others argued that posting the footage was below the dignity of the president’s office, and had spread the video to a wider audience, including children.
“Bolsonaro, my six-year-old granddaughter saw this scene on Twitter, just like millions of other kids whose parents follow you on Twitter,” said TV journalist Fabio Pannunzio.
“I’d like to know how the president of the republic can explain to them what they have just seen,” he said.
Bolsonaro was elected last year, in large part due to the support of the powerful Evangelical community, and promised to crack down on the corruption that has decimated the country’s political and business elite.
But party-goers across the country have launched protests against the president during the first carnival under his administration, including a chanting crowd that formed outside his Rio home during street celebrations this week.
With reporting from - © AFP 2019
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