The Federal Police challenged Portuguese far-right influencer Sérgio Tavares, who said he had been stopped at Guarulhos Airport, in São Paulo. He, who is in Brazil to follow the Bolsonarist event this Sunday (25), on Avenida Paulista, stated that his documentation was retained at the air terminal and associated the procedure with his political and ideological positions.
According to the police, this version is false. In a note sent to Brazil in fact, the corporation states that this is “standard procedure” and that Tavares was approached “to assess the individual’s situation, checking whether he is in the country for tourism or work and for how long he intends to remain in the country, following the regular protocol admission of foreigners”. The PF also reported that the Portuguese did not present a work visa, which would be appropriate to enter Brazil, since the purpose of the trip was to provide “photographic coverage of an event”.
Tavares published a video on social media in which he reported that he was the only passenger detained by Brazilian authorities. In another publication, he stated that he was detained for four hours and that he was questioned about his position regarding minister Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio Dino, the coup acts of January 8th and vaccines.
Regarding the content of the statement, the police note explains that “the foreigner was asked about comments he made about democracy in Brazil, stating that the country is experiencing a “dictatorship of the Judiciary”, in addition to other statements along the same lines, posted on your social networks.”
Finally, the PF explained that the procedure applied to the case of influencer Sérgio Tavares are measures “adopted by default in the vast majority of international airports”. After checking, the Portuguese was released.
Tavares arrived in Brazil, this Sunday (25), to participate in the event organized by former president Jair Bolsonaro, in São Paulo. The Portuguese published on the social network Monday (26),”to denounce to the world the atrocity of mandatory vaccination against Covid in babies and children, during the public hearing”.
Sérgio is classified as an extreme right-wing influencer and defends, in Portugal, similar agendas to Bolsonaro’s here in Brazil, such as combating the so-called “gender ideology”, attacking the left and denying vaccines.
Earlier this month, he interviewed former president Jair Bolsonaro live. In the broadcast, Bolsonaro once again attacked Brazilian institutions and democracy, stating that “the country is experiencing a dictatorship” and accusing the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of persecuting conservative parliamentarians.
Editing: Geisa Marques