Fortaleza: Influencer faces backlash after video of autistic boy

Digital influencer Valéria Diniz has faced widespread condemnation following a video recorded at the Mercado dos Peixes in Fortaleza, Ceará. In the footage, Diniz questions 9-year-old Matheus, an autistic boy selling sweets to support his family, about his political preferences. After the boy mentions support for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Diniz asks him to make the “L” hand gesture and subsequently refuses to purchase his products while her companions laugh.

The incident sparked a massive wave of solidarity for Matheus and his grandmother, Inês de Maria do Nascimento. Public figures, including presenter Luciano Huck, have reached out to the family, with Huck providing financial assistance via Pix. Additionally, groups of motorcyclists and delivery workers organized to deliver donations to the child's residence.

Following the backlash, Diniz's primary Instagram account was deactivated. She later issued an apology through an alternative profile, stating she had no intention to humiliate the child and noting that she is also a mother of an autistic child. She further claimed that she and her children have faced death threats and online harassment following the incident.