Right wing urges boycott of iconic Brazilian flip-flops / Photo: Miguel SCHINCARIOL - AFP/File
-
Cash-strapped Senegalese unmoved by Youth Olympic Games
-
Yankees, White Sox, Padres advance, Phillies survive in MLB playoffs
-
Indonesia haze chokes neighbours, but little legal recourse
-
Tennessee woman in hospital after execution 'failed': lawyers
-
Samad launches Pakistan into first Asian Games men's cricket final
-
Cable car offers small hope for Mongolia's gridlocked capital
-
Yankees and White Sox advance, Phillies survive in MLB playoffs
-
Man City scandal risks damage to Premier League's booming brand
-
Asian stocks mixed as positive US data offset by elevated oil, bond yields
-
First-time Sepang F1 racers will master track 'from opening lap'
-
Rice work: Dutch test new crop to save sinking peatlands
-
Japan tightens rules for foreigners wanting permanent residency
-
Russians join street choirs to sing away sorrows -- or show dissent
-
'Happiest moment': China's Mu first woman to win eSports Games gold
-
UK fears grow over AI giant Palantir's health service deal
-
EU talks deportations as five nations seek migrant centre in Africa
-
Empty nets in Latin America as fish flee El Nino
-
Kenneth Branagh examines the scars of Iraq war in 'Atonement'
-
Meidroth blasts White Sox through, Phillies survive in MLB playoffs
-
Hundreds held, dozens wounded as French school protests escalate
-
'Catastrophic': Swiss glaciers lose fifth of mass in five years
-
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Announces Transaction in Own Shares - October 01
-
Great Western Mining Corporation PLC Announces Board Change & Appointment of New CFO
-
US government's new AI chatbot pulls back from debunking Trump
-
California roller coaster shut after brain damage claims
-
US tennis star Navarro reveals health battle, ends season
-
Panama ministers push for reopening of huge open-pit copper mine
-
Panic, anger, tears: Evan Gershkovich's uneasy journey after Russian jail
-
Bohm's blast keeps Phillies alive in MLB playoffs
-
UK PM says 'strong indications' Iran involved in airbase incident
-
US judge accepts Paramount's Warner Bros. buyout settlement
-
Google restricts access to new AI model over safety concerns
-
Global stocks mixed as markets weigh higher oil prices, bond yields
-
Watchdog clears former US Fed chief Powell in renovation probe
-
Marsh hails improvements after Australia win final one-day international
-
Israel PM hails Indian pilot of rerouted flight for averting disaster
-
Hegseth says US cut number of generals, admirals by 20%
-
Fury, Joshua kick off 'battle of Britain' in good spirits
-
Kanye West's Russian concerts have been cancelled, organisers say
-
Ronaldo leaves Portugal training camp after coach says he is dropped
-
First Hollywood, now Fat Bear Week: nepobaby wins Alaska contest
-
Florence Pugh stars in 'East of Eden' adaption on Netflix
-
Barcelona lay down marker in Women's Champions League, Arsenal slip up
-
Watchdog finds no criminal misconduct over US Fed renovations despite Trump probe
-
US pushes against overproduction with eye on China at G20 meeting
-
In Manchester, City fans 'devastated' while rival fans call for relegation
-
Swiss FA withdraws support for FIFA chief Infantino
-
UK-France Channel migrant exchange deal scrapped: London
-
Man City's meteoric rise clouded by financial scandal
-
Portugal boss denies 'incident' with Ronaldo
Right wing urges boycott of iconic Brazilian flip-flops
Prominent figures on Brazil's right wing are calling for a boycott of Havaianas, the iconic Brazilian flip-flop sandals, over an ad seen as taking sides ahead of next year's presidential elections.
In a video posted on the brand's social media accounts, actress Fernanda Torres urges the public "not to start 2026 on the right foot," but "on both feet."
Torres, a supporter of the Brazilian left, was the lead actress in the Brazilian film "Ainda Estou Aqui" ("I'm Still Here"), which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film this year.
The advertisement has sparked outrage in conservative circles.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the sons of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro -- who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup after losing the last election -- took to Instagram on Sunday to register his disgust.
In a video, he throws a pair of the flip-flops, recognizable from their straps adorned with the Brazilian flag, into the trash.
"Havaianas used to be a national symbol. I've seen many foreigners wearing this Brazilian flag on their feet... but I'm sorry, I'm going to throw these flip-flops in the trash," says the US-based, former Brazilian lawmaker.
Conservative congressman Rodrigo Valadares posted on X: "Havaianas has chosen its side. The RIGHT has opted for a boycott."
"My feet are burning on the asphalt, but Havaianas, never again," right-wing influencer Thiago Asmar posted Monday on Instagram, where he has more than two million followers.
Havaianas are among the world's best-selling sandals. The Alpargatas group, which owns the brand, employs 10,000 people and sold 226.6 million pairs of flip-flops in 2024, mostly in Brazil, according to its LinkedIn page.
The company has not responded to AFP requests for comment.
Left-wing congresswoman Duda Salabert denounced the reactions from the right as "idiotic attacks," saying calls for a boycott threatens jobs in Minas Gerais, the southeastern state she represents, where one of the brand's factories is located.
Torres won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for "I'm Still Here," which recounts the years of the military dictatorship in Brazil, a period often evoked with nostalgia by Bolsonaro's supporters.
South America's largest nation is set to hold general elections in October 2026. Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in 2022, has said he plans to run for a fourth term.
A.Mahlangu--AMWN