City Condemns Tile Removal at São Francisco Statue After Viral Videos

Overview

• Footage posted by local influencer Max Greyson shows a woman prying ceramic pieces from the monument’s base, where hundreds of tiles are visibly missing.
• Parish leaders from the Área Pastoral São Pedro say a rumor about a curative “chá” drew some devotees to take fragments from the structure.
• The Prefeitura de Canindé labeled the acts vandalism, warned they constitute damage to public patrimony, and said offenders are subject to legal sanctions.
• Municipal officials say a controlled-protection project is being developed to preserve the site without blocking religious access, alongside needed restoration.
• The landmark, near a newly opened commercial complex, is preparing for the Sept. 24–Oct. 4 romaria; no perpetrators have been publicly identified or detained.