Brazil: Bomb with Anti-imperialist Message Explodes in Alagoas
We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by A Nova Democracia (AND) published on the 10th of July.
A Bomb Bearing Anti-imperialist Messages Exploded at the ‘Statue of Liberty’ Replica at Havan Store in Maceió; Luciano Hang Alleges ‘Terrorism’
Luciano Hang, a far-right monopolist and owner of Lojas Havan, once again denounced what he called “terrorism” following an incident involving one of his company’s statues in Maceió (Alagoas). The incident occurred at 2:34 a.m. on July 2nd, when two people—according to released footage—broke into the replica of the “Statue of Liberty” and detonated an explosive device inside the structure, leaving behind leaflets with anti-imperialist political messages and the communist symbol.
At the site, flyers were scattered bearing the slogans “Long live the heroic national resistance movements of Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen!”, “Yankees out of Venezuela, Cuba, and all of Latin America!”, and “Death to Yankee imperialism!”, along with the communist symbol of the hammer and sickle. Hang stated that “hundreds” of leaflets were left at the scene.
The businessman posted a video about the incident on July 3rd. In the caption, he called the perpetrators “terrorists” on three occasions, attacked what he called the “far left,” and stated: “We are becoming a country of crime and terrorism.” At the end, outraged, Hang demanded action from the old State’s law enforcement agencies: “I ask: Will the authorities never find these criminals?”
Havan’s official profile offered a more restrained statement. The company reported that no one was injured, that the structure sustained no damage, and that the surveillance footage would be analyzed. The Alagoas Civil Police was put in charge of the investigation; as of the initial report on the case, there was no information regarding suspects.
The replicas of the “Statue of Liberty” are used as a trademark by the retail monopoly and have become symbols of political and cultural subservience to the United States (US) in Brazil, even among some reactionary forces.
Statues of Havan have been targeted in several cities
The incident in Maceió is the latest in a series of attacks against Havan’s “Statues of Liberty.” On the night of April 9th, 2026, four replicas were set on fire simultaneously in São Luís (Maranhão), Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), Valparaíso (Goiás), and São Pedro da Aldeia (Rio de Janeiro). Hang described the incidents as “coordinated terrorist attacks” and claimed, without presenting any evidence, that they were the work of a “criminal organization” and a “planned act.”
In Petrolina (Pernambuco), a statue was destroyed in the early hours of September 23rd, 2025. Around 2 a.m., two people arrived at the site on Honorato Viana Avenue and set the structure on fire. The Fire Department was called shortly after 3 a.m., but only the metal frame of the replica remained. Four years earlier, in São Carlos (São Paulo), a statue was set on fire on December 31, 2019. In Porto Velho (Rondônia), the replica was defaced with graffiti in 2021. The same structure was targeted again on December 14, 2023, when it was set on fire in the early morning hours.
In February 2026, a Havan store in Chapecó (Santa Catarina) was vandalized with graffiti around 4:15 a.m., bearing the slogan “Yankees out of Latin America!” and signed with a communist symbol and the acronym “P.C.B.” Hang released footage from the security cameras and turned the incident into a virtual “manhunt,” calling on his followers to identify the perpetrators: “If you have any information about the criminals, report it.”
The graffiti also provoked a reaction from sectors of the so-called left. Pablo Mucelini, who identified himself as a PCBR activist, posted a video in which he described actions such as “spraying graffiti” as “ineffective and dishonest” and attacked the League of the Poor Peasants (LCP), repeating accusations used by the far-right big landlords and by Military Police commanders in Rondônia. The statement was criticized by activists within the PCBR itself.
Hang has already been involved in coup-related activities
In 2022, Luciano Hang was implicated in investigations into pro-Bolsonaro business leaders who were discussing positions in favor of a military coup in the country. The Federal Supreme Court’s (STF) decision in Petition 10,543 cited news reports about messages from the WhatsApp group “Business Leaders & Politics,” in which members “began to openly advocate for a coup d’état, depending on the outcome of the 2022 general elections.” The document lists Hang among the group’s members.
During the coup-related unrest over the results of that year’s election, a document from the Federal Highway Police (PRF), obtained by Agência Pública, noted that trucks operated by Havan, Transben Transportes—a company linked to Hang’s family—and Premix Concreto were deployed to km 83 of BR-101, in Barra Velha (Santa Catalina), where they were “present in an organized manner” at a roadblock.
The report also identified Havan stores as gathering points and sources of support for pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations in Santa Catarina. In Palhoça (Santa Catalina), employees reported providing chairs, benches, access to restrooms, electricity for sound equipment, and parking to the participants. Hang and Havan denied any involvement, funding, or support for the protests, and no formal charges were filed against the businessman. On November 2nd, 2022, during a rally in Brusque (Santa Catalina), Hang publicly praised the “green chickens” [Translators note: Bolsonaro supporters] mobilized against the election results: “Brazil needs more people like all of you, who are ready to fight.”
Monopoly operator faces mounting allegations and convictions
In February 2026, the Havan Group reported record revenue of R$ 18.5 billion in 2025—a 16% increase over the previous year—and net income of R$ 3.5 billion. For 2026, the company announced a goal of opening 200 megastores and generating R$ 22 billion in revenue.
The growth of the retail monopoly has been accompanied by a long list of allegations, fines, and convictions involving Luciano Hang and Havan. Documents revealed by the Pandora Papers showed that Hang maintained the offshore company Abigail Worldwide in the British Virgin Islands for nearly two decades. The amount totaled $112.6 million, roughly R$416 million at the time. The structure remained undisclosed to Brazilian tax authorities until 2020.
In Brazil, Havan has a history of fines and legal proceedings dating back to the 1990s. In 1999, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) filed a lawsuit alleging smuggling and claimed that Hang used a front import company in Panama to falsify invoices and “launder” products purchased abroad. The case involved a fine of R$ 117 million imposed by the Federal Revenue Service and another of R$ 10 million imposed by the National Social Security Institute (INSS). Part of the proceedings was later dismissed on procedural grounds.
In 2024, Hang and Havan were ordered by a lower court to pay more than R$ 85 million for electoral coercion against employees during the 2018 elections. The lawsuit was filed by the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), and the ruling by the 7th Labor Court of Florianópolis found that the businessman pressured workers to vote for Jair Bolsonaro and to participate in “civic events” organized by the company.
Flyers cause a stir
The reaction to the flyers left in Maceió mirrors the uproar caused by other incidents of political propaganda. On October 30th, 2024, a man left an object at a fair held on São Paulo Avenue in downtown Londrina (Paraná). Minutes later, the box exploded and scattered leaflets titled “No to elections! Yes to revolution!”, featuring the slogan “Don’t vote!” in bold.
On March 12th, 2025, two boxes exploded and scattered leaflets at the Pinheiros Terminal in São Paulo (SP). The leaflets bore slogans such as “Down with the coup-plotting generals!”, “Death to the fascists!”, “Long live Maoism!”, “Long live the People’s War!”, and “Long live the Democratic Revolution.” No one was injured in either incident, and the topic was discussed for hours on national television on the program “Brasil Urgente” and in major monopolistic newspapers, such as Folha de S.Paulo.
Following the incident in São Paulo, former pro-Bolsonaro congressman Douglas Garcia described the case as an “attack” and “terrorism” and claimed that communists would be “willing to kill to defend their ideology,” even though the low explosive potential of the devices had been reported by the reactionary press and by researchers. Pro-Bolsonaro blogger Flavia Ferronato also spoke of “terrorism,” while the far-right platform Brasil Paralelo attempted to portray Maoism as a threat.
The São Paulo leadership of the PCdoB denied any connection to the leaflets, but adopted a law-and-order tone by describing the incident as “a serious and irresponsible provocation” and announcing “appropriate legal measures to determine who is responsible.” Congresswoman Jandira Feghali, of the same party, suggested that the action might have been a provocation by the far right. Researcher Michele Prado, meanwhile, stated that the devices had low explosive potential and were intended to promote “ideological dissemination.”
