Brazilian Influencers Pull Ads for Russia-Linked Start Program Under Interpol Scrutiny

Overview

• MC Thammy, Aila Loures, Catherine Bascoy and other creators deleted sponsored posts and issued apologies on October 2 after exposés by Guga Figueiredo and Jordana Vucetic.
• Interpol is investigating the Alabuga Start operation, promoted in Brazil as the Start Program, for suspected human trafficking and labor exploitation.
• Promotions targeted women aged 18 to 22 with two‑year contracts paying roughly US$540 to US$680 a month plus airfare, housing, medical insurance, work documents and Russian lessons.
• Research groups including the Institute for Science and International Security and GI‑TOC report that recruits were routed into a drone assembly plant, facing long shifts, surveillance and hazardous chemical exposure at a site repeatedly struck in the Ukraine war.
• Platform accounts and videos tied to the program were removed, South Africa’s presidency warned citizens and opened an inquiry, and Brazilian outlets report no authorization for the firm to operate locally.