Piauí Deletes Phone-Recovery Ad Accused of Racism After Criticism

Overview

• The October 12 video, posted on Governor Rafael Fonteles’s X account, depicted two young Black men stealing a white man’s phone and was later removed after criticism.
• On October 21, Fonteles promoted the Meu Celular de Volta program again without the video, while Senator Ciro Nogueira condemned the ad as “preconceito racial escancarado” and faulted the governor on public security.
• Afro Progressistas issued a formal repudiation, arguing the piece reinforces structural racism by casting Black people as criminals and white people as victims.
• O Globo reported a statement from Piauí’s communications office asserting the piece was not racist, noting the actors are local influencers and citing inspiration from the film Ai Que Vida and creative control by the director.
• Poder360 said the state had not responded to its inquiry by publication, and state officials tout the program’s results, including a reported 51% drop in phone robberies since 2022 and more than 13,000 devices recovered.