Daniela Mercury Defends Cortejo Afro as A TARDE Timeline Undercuts Viral 'Sombreiro' Claim

Overview

• In posts on Thursday, Daniela Mercury called Veko Araújo a cultural asset of Bahia and said his sombreiro signifies Afro-Brazilian resistance and the beauty of Black culture.
• Veko stated that placing people under the sombreiro does not depict a Black person shielding a white person and described the piece as his sacred artistic instrument.
• An A TARDE reconstruction from the protest reports the sombreiro on the trio at 11:29, Wagner Moura arriving at 11:48, and images showing the actor largely outside the hat during his time onstage.
• The dispute erupted after a cropped clip circulated online, with G1 noting users questioned why Veko, identified as Black, held the sombreiro on a trio with mostly non-Black public figures.
• Coverage highlights the protest’s context against the PEC da Blindagem and an amnesty, with Mercury saying Cortejo Afro’s presence signaled the bloc’s participation, while an A TARDE opinion piece labeled the online attacks racist.