Misleading: It is a misleading post that claims that presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) mistreated his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, behind the scenes of the debate held between him and Jair Bolsonaro (PL) on October 16. Contrary to what the publication on TikTok claims, when saying “You don’t know shit”, the former president was talking to Ricardo Stuckert, his official photographer, and not to Janja. The images used by the person responsible for producing the disinformation piece were recorded by journalist Fabíola Cidral, one of the presenters of the debate. On Twitter, she said that what she witnessed looked like a joke with Stuckert, called by Lula in the video “Stuckinha”. The same was stated by the PT’s adviser.
Investigated Content: Excerpt from video made behind the scenes of the October 16 presidential debate in which it is possible to see the presidential candidate and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) walking past his wife, Janja, and saying, without looking at her, something inaudible, followed by “You don’t know shit.” Then, a man wearing a shirt with the number 22, by Jair Bolsonaro (PL), says that the PT said “What is it? You don’t know f*ck” addressing Janja. The man then criticizes Lula, saying that he mistreated her and that, if it had been Bolsonaro talking to the first lady, “the world would have collapsed”.
where it was published: TikTok.
Completion of Proof: Using video recorded behind the scenes of the first presidential debate of the 2nd round, on October 16, a man deceives himself by claiming that Lula mistreated his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, aka Janja, by saying: “What is it? You don’t know shit.” In fact, Lula was talking to his official photographer, Ricardo Stuckert, who had just given him instructions on the cameras and the use of the chair. Instead of “what is it?”, he said “Stuckinha”, nickname of the professional.
According to journalist Fabíola Cidral, who recorded the scene used in the disinformation piece – the original video is available on the UOL Channel, on YouTube –, what she witnessed did not look like aggression, but a “joke”. “Stuckert explained about the cameras and the use of the chair. And Lula jokes: ‘Stuckinha, you don’t know shit’”, tweeted the communicator after the deceptive video went viral. Initially, a version circulated that Lula would be mistreating an advisor named Sofia, which is also not true.
Sought by Comprova, Lula’s press office confirmed that he was talking to the photographer, with whom he has worked for 20 years. “The reporter who made the video said they were talking in jest,” the statement said.
misleading, for Comprova, is all content taken from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that leads to an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that confuses, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.
Scope of publication: Comprova investigates suspicious content with the greatest reach on social networks. As of October 18, the publication on TikTok had 116,400 likes, 5,800 comments and 77,900 shares.
What does the publisher say?: Comprova tried to contact the owner of the profile of the verified post, but he did not respond until the publication of this text.
How do we check: Keywords and phrases related to the investigated content were searched on Google, such as “Lula xinga Janja” and “UOL debate”. The search resulted in a matter from the UOL portal with explanations about the case, clarifying that the expletive said by Lula was directed at photographer Ricardo Stuckert.
Another clue was found on TikTok itself. Just below the verified video, you can read “#sew with @uol”. By clicking on “@uol”, the social network redirects the user to the original uncut videopublished by the news portal. “Sew” is a TikTok creation tool which allows the user to combine someone else’s video with what they are creating.
In this case, there was a mixture of an excerpt from the recording published by UOL with another in which a man judges the scene taking it out of context.
It was also possible to find the full version of the video on Instagram profile of journalist Fabíola Cidral, one of the presenters of the debate and author of the recording. Another result of a misleading publication with the same passage, verified by the UOL Check, states that the speech had been directed to an alleged advisor to the former president’s campaign identified as “Sofia”. However, there is no advisor with that name among those who work directly with Lula, as verified by UOL.
By WhatsApp, Comprova got in touch with Lula’s press office and with Stuckert. The photographer did not respond.
The video
In the original recording, Fabíola Cidral is interviewing Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), vice president of Lula’s ticket, in the studio where the first debate of the second round took place, promoted by TV Cultura, Band, UOL and Folha de S.Paulo, on October 16 , in Sao Paulo. She then announces the presidential candidate’s arrival at the studio. Lula passes federal deputy and national president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann, and other people, and walks to the pulpit. At that moment, Stuckert can be heard saying: “Let’s just adjust here, President, the height of your…”, and Lula says something. Then the photographer points in different directions.
Lula then leaves the pulpit and it is from there that the recording is used in the misleading post. He walks past Janja just as she says “Stucky, you don’t know f***ing shit,” and walks to center stage. The content verified here shows up to this moment, but the original video continues with Lula greeting journalists Adriana Araújo and Eduardo Oinegue.
At the UOL channel on YouTube, where it is possible to see the original video, there is another recording in the sequence, showing the entry of Jair Bolsonaro into the studio.
Versions of disinformation
The same video went viral in other, equally misleading contexts. In one of the versions, shared by São Paulo councilor Fernando Holiday (without a party), Lula would have cursed an advisor, which is also not true. In another, she would be rudely addressing an aide named Sofia.
why do we investigate: Comprova investigates suspicious content about the pandemic, presidential elections and public policies of the federal government that go viral on social media. False or misleading publications involving presidential candidates, as in the post verified here, can lead to misinterpretations of reality and influence voters at the time of voting. Citizens have the right to base their choices on true and reliable information.
Other checks on the topic: As stated above, the UOL Check checked for content similar to the post verified here. And in previous verifications that cite Lula, Comprova showed that his speech is taken out of context to suggest mockery of those who believe in the promise of eating picanhawhich is false that the cap acronym used by the presidential candidate is related to a criminal faction; that are mounts the reproductions of Twitter and the G1 that attribute to the PT statements about disarmament and that video deceives saying that he could lose his candidacy because of Lava Jato.
Investigated by: Poder 360, SBT, Grupo Sinos and Folha de S.Paulo; Verified by: A Gazeta, Metrópoles, Estado de S.Paulo, O Dia, Plural Curitiba and CBN Cuiabá.
Source: CNN Brasil
