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Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro tweets 'what is a golden shower' after posting explicit video of man urinating on someone’s head

Far-right leader's shares footage in apparent attempt to discredit Carnival following protests

Tom Embury-Dennis
Wednesday 06 March 2019 14:05 GMT
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Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro posts video of 'man having golden shower' in attempt to discredit Carnival

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro has posted a sexually explicit video on Twitter in an apparent attempt to discredit Sao Paulo Carnival, the city's annual street festival, which has seen protests against his far-right agenda.

The footage, which he shared late on Tuesday evening, shows one man urinating on another person 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," Mr Bolsonaro tweeted. "This is what Brazilian carnival street parties have turned into," he said."

He followed it up with another tweet on Wednesday morning, in which he asked, "What is a golden shower?".

Brazilians were quick to condemn Mr Bolsonaro's tweet as a gross misrepresentation of the festival, which this year took place from 28 February to 5 March. Some Twitter users also said they would report the tweet as featuring inappropriate content.

"I spent an entire carnival seeing so many beautiful things," TV presenter Astrid Fontenelle tweeted in response to Mr Bolsonaro. "Then I come across THAT on twitter from the president of the republic that must be followed by MANY children."

Witnesses to the scene, which had attracted criticism before Mr Bolsonaro posted the footage, said it occurred on Monday but was an isolated incident amid the celebrations, according to Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paolo (FSP).

Critics accused the president of using the incident to tar protests which have sprung up at carnivals across the country, in which many attendees dressed up to mock a money-laundering scandal involving Mr Bolsonaro.

Federal prosecutors have launched a sprawling probe into suspicious cash payments made into the account of the president's driver.

John Bolton praises 'like-minded' Bolsonaro

Other revelers sang, "I am not mistaken. Bolsonaro is part of the militia", in reference to his alleged links to Brazil's paramilitary groups, according to FSP.

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