Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – 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 threaten 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.
© 2024 AFP
