World · Latin America · 14 hrs ago
Influencer refuses to buy sweets from boy after asking him to make Lula gesture
Influencer Valéria Diniz refused to buy sweets from Matheus, a boy selling them at a market in Fortaleza, Brazil.
The video shows Diniz asking Matheus about his family’s political preference and then asking him to make an “L” hand gesture associated with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Matheus made the gesture, but Diniz still did not buy the sweets, while women at her table laughed.
Matheus is autistic, has lost his mother and lives with his grandmother, Inês de Maria do Nascimento; he sells sweets to help with family expenses.
The video drew public criticism and prompted people to organize donations and deliver supplies to the family.
Diniz’s original Instagram account, which had about 70,000 followers, went offline, and she later posted an apology from another account.
The reported support for Matheus and his family followed the video’s spread, but the sources give no further developments.
Influencer Valéria Diniz refused to buy sweets from a boy in Fortaleza after asking him to make a hand gesture associated with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The boy, identified as Matheus, had mentioned Lula while Diniz asked about his and his family’s political preference.
The video prompted criticism and a wave of support for Matheus and his family, including donations and aid from delivery workers and motorcyclists.
Diniz later apologized in a post on another account, saying she had not wanted to give that impression and hoped Matheus and his family would forgive her.
- Who
- Influencer Valéria Diniz and Matheus, a boy who was selling sweets.
- What
- Diniz asked Matheus to make an “L” hand gesture associated with Lula, then refused to buy his sweets.
- When
- The incident happened on Wednesday, October 28, 2026; the video drew attention that night.
- Where
- Mercado dos Peixes on the Beira-Mar waterfront in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The presidential election took place, and Diniz had declared support for Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost.
Diniz filmed herself asking Matheus to make the “L” gesture before refusing to buy his sweets at Mercado dos Peixes in Fortaleza.
The video circulated on social media and prompted criticism and calls to support Matheus’s family.
Motorcyclists and delivery workers showed support for Matheus and his family in Fortaleza.
- Influencer
- Valéria Diniz
- Boy
- Matheus
- Location
- Mercado dos Peixes, Beira-Mar, Fortaleza, Ceará
- Family member
- Grandmother Inês de Maria do Nascimento
- Previous account
- About 70,000 followers
- Gesture
- L,” associated with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
3 sources
What people are saying
Desculpa de verdade. Eu não queria passar essa visão! Espero que um dia você e sua família possa me perdoar!
Vai na mamãe e manda ela fazer o L