Zoe Martinez ordered to pay R$ 20,000 to Felipe Neto for false post

A court in Rio de Janeiro has ordered São Paulo city councilor and federal deputy candidate Zoe Martinez (PL) to pay R$ 20,000 in moral damages to influencer and YouTuber Felipe Neto.

The ruling follows a social media video posted by Martinez, a naturalized Brazilian of Cuban origin, in which she shared a falsified image of a tweet attributed to Neto. The forged post used product prices and dollar exchange rates from late 2022 to compare the administration of Jair Bolsonaro to that of President Lula. Neto had previously denied being the author of the message.

Judge Marcelo Nobre de Almeida stated that disseminating false content and attributing untrue statements to an individual is sufficient to damage their dignity and credibility. The judge noted that because both parties are public figures with significant influence, the potential harm of the publication was amplified. While Neto initially sought R$ 50,000 in damages, the court set the amount at R$ 20,000. Martinez's legal team is currently evaluating an appeal, arguing the post fell under parliamentary immunity.