RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – One of Brazil’s most successful YouTubers with over 33 million followers, openly gay 31-year-old Felipe Neto, reported that he has been threatened since he opposed the mayor of Rio, Marcelo Crivella, by distributing over 10,000 books on LGBT issues after the mayor ordered copies of a comic book depicting a kiss between two men to be collected.
According to him, his mother has already left Brazil. The threats against him and his family are intensifying and they are currently preparing a document to take to the police.
After reporting threats and canceling his participation in an event, Felipe Neto received an unusual invitation from writer Paulo Coelho, who became aware of his predicament:
“Don’t take militia threats lightly. You’re doing the right thing, protecting your mother but don’t expose yourself,” writes the best-selling Brazilian author, who adds: “Anyone can come here – Geneva’s surveillance service is high because of diplomatic bodies. If you need it, send me a message,” he commented on Twitter.
Não brinca com milicianos. Está fazendo o certo, mas realmente não se exponha. Qualquer coisa pode vir até aqui – Genebra é super vigiada por causa dos muitos corpos diplomáticos. Se precisar, me acione por DM
— Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) September 16, 2019
“My friend, don’t make offers like that or by tomorrow I will be knocking on your door,” replied the distressed YouTuber.
https://twitter.com/felipeneto/status/1173646812789563392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1173646812789563392%7Ctwgr%5E363937393b636f6e74726f6c&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fistoe.com.br%2Fapos-ameacas-paulo-coelho-convida-felipe-neto-para-se-refugiar-em-genebra%2F
Back in May, Felipe Neto claimed publicly to have received death threats after criticizing Bolsonaro: “I fear for Brazil”, he said.
He started his YouTuber career by commenting on celebrities, movies, daily activities in a critical or amusing way, being the first YouTube channel to reach one million subscribers in Brazil.
Felipe is the founder of Paramaker, a network business inside YouTube, which owns channels like Parafernalha, IGN Brasil Network, managing approximately 5,000 channels, as an effort to professionalize the online video market in Brazil.
Should Felipe Neto decide to leave Brazil, he would be the second nationally known personality, who stands up for LGBT rights in Brazil, to do so. Jean Wyllys was forced to escape from the country since Jair Bolsonaro took over the presidency in January 2019.
Wyllys began to live under anonymous death threats. An investigation by the Federal Police led to the arrest of one of the perpetrators. However, the deputy’s staff continued to receive threats to their own and their family’s integrity.
Following the 2018 elections, he decided to leave Brazil behind and sought refuge initially in Europe.
Even pure political “opponents” of Bolsonaro are being punished at an ever-increasing pace. Only yesterday Rio’s nationally known Governor Wilson Witzel was publicly branded for criticizing Jair Bolsonaro.