BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • Trending

Brazilians get that sinking feeling as crisis deepens

  • Published
    17 March 2016
Share page
About sharing
Brazil as TitanicImage source, Twitter/@paulinhaitu
Image caption,

The Brazilian state is presented as the sinking Titanic by this government critic.

By BBC Trending
What's popular and why

The political crisis that has engulfed Brazil has prompted a tumultuous and acrimonious response on the country's social media.

As street protests continued many critics of the government took to Twitter using the hashtag #QuedaDoPlanalto which translates as Fall of Planalto - a reference to the name of the presidential palace.

The hashtag - a playful twist on the Hollywood disaster movies "London Has Fallen" and "Olympus Has Fallen" - was for a time the top global trend on Twitter.

The current crisis stems from slow-burning allegations of corruption involving the state oil company Petrobras and the ruling Workers' Party. Last week prosecutors filed charges against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accusing him of money laundering and fraud, which he has denied.

Many protesters have gone online to express the view that the government, lead by Lula's successor as president, Dilma Rousseff, is rotten to the core. This Twitter user posted what he called the new Brazilian flag. In his design the national motto "Ordem e Progresso" - meaning order and progress - has been replaced with corruption and mischief. The flag is headed with the word "luto" which translates as mourning. The person who posted it comments "Sorry but it's true"

Mocked up Brazilian flagImage source, Twitter/@Ivo_Tithagho

In another cartoon shared widely, Lula's troubles are likened to the iconic toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003. The caption reads: "Image to inspire one more day towards the end of the gang".

cartoonImage source, Twitter/@pauloap

Many other tweets have called for the impeachment of President Rousseff. It follows her decision to appoint Lula as her chief of staff, a move which many have interpreted as an attempt to shield the former president from prosecution. That view is represented in this cartoon in which Lula is seen cowering under the protective skirts of President Rousseff to avoid federal judge Sergio Moro, who is presiding over the investigation of the Petrobras scandal.

Lula hiding under skirtsImage source, Twitter/@Rrodryggo

However, supporters of the government have been outraged by the decision of a judge to block Lula's appointment as chief of staff. Judge Itagiba Catta Preta issued the injunction on the grounds that the corruption investigation could be derailed if Lula became a minister. But some on the left have questioned the impartiality of the judge. The singer Isabel Monteiro, once of the band Drugstore, was among those who tweeted a photo showing him wearing badges showing his support former opposition presidential candidate Aecio Neves on Facebook.

judge photoImage source, Twitter/@GringaBrazilien

Another Twitter user commented ``judge Itagiba Catta Preta is an open militant against the government on Facebook. Should a judge be impartial. Or not?"

Written by Bruno Garcez, BBC Brasil

Next story: Humans of New York takes on Trump

Brandon Stanton (seated on the right) has previously been invited to the White House for his fundraising for education.Image source, Pete Souza/The White House
Image caption,

Brandon Stanton (seated on the right with camera) has previously been invited to the White House for his fundraising for education.

A popular photo blogger stirs up a social media storm with his open letter to Republican front-runner Donald Trump..READ MORE

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external, and find us on Facebook, external. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

Top stories

  • Man, 76, remanded over 'drug-laced sweets' at camp

    • Published
      5 hours ago
  • Steve Rosenberg: Russia is staying quiet on Trump's nuclear move

    • Published
      5 hours ago
  • Car finance judgement 'a hard pill to swallow'

    • Published
      17 hours ago

More to explore

  • What to do if your planned holiday destination is affected by wildfires

    Wildfires seen in July in Chalkida on the Greek island of Euboea
  • Shapewear for your face while you sleep. Has Kim Kardashian taken it too far?

    Two women wearing a face wrap that goes under their chins to the top of their heads
  • Love Island finale, and Wednesday returns: What’s coming up this week?

    A composite image of Maya Jama and the Wednesday Adams character
  • 'Like being with a rock star' - departing Son's 10 years at Spurs

    • Attribution
      Sport
    Son Heung-min celebrates after Tottenham win the Europa League
  • North Korea sent me abroad to be a secret IT worker. My wages funded the regime

    A graphic showing a man in a cap and uniform working on a laptop with a North Korean flag as a background
  • I've seen her name and photo - but we can't talk before the date. Will it work out?

    Alex waiting outside a bar with a cocktail
  • Car loan scandal payouts row - what's it about?

    Man and a woman in smart clothing talk in a car dealership, standing between new cars
  • When Scotland was the world's UFO hot spot

    Two people standing with their backs to us at night. They are high up, overlooking a landscape of lights and water in the distance. The moon is high and the whole night sky is green-tinged and eerie.
  • Summer Essential: Your family’s guide to the summer, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday

    concentric circles ranging from orange to yellow to represent the sun, with a blue sky background
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Dua Lipa granted Kosovo citizenship

  2. 2

    Man, 76, remanded over 'drug-laced sweets' at camp

  3. 3

    Man, 27, drowns saving two nieces at waterfall

  4. 4

    Steve Rosenberg: Russia is staying quiet on Trump's nuclear move

  5. 5

    Car finance judgement 'a hard pill to swallow'

  6. 6

    Long delays for passengers at Port and LeShuttle

  7. 7

    Murdered mum and children 'together and finally safe', family say

  8. 8

    I've seen her name and photo - but we can't talk before the date. Will it work out?

  9. 9

    Shapewear for your face while you sleep. Has Kim Kardashian taken it too far?

  10. 10

    I no longer identify as Nigerian, Badenoch says

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • A new disappearance reopens old wounds

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    The Gone
  • Inside DOOM, the controversial 90s game

    • Attribution
      Sounds
    Witness History: The Release of DOOM
  • A classic, nostalgic time-travel adventure

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Back to the Future
  • What do your dreams say about you?

    • Attribution
      Sounds
    The Dream Team with Vinny and Cate
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.