Brazil Floods Not Subsiding Any Time Soon as Disinformation Complicates Situation in Flooded South

The Brazil floods have truly devastated the southern portion of the country, with the death toll constantly rising. However, misinformation on social media is making things worse and making search and rescue operations even more complicated.

Fake news postings on social media have been stirring outrage all over Brazil, such as false information about official agencies not conducting rescues in Brazil's southernmost state, as well as fake news about the Brazilian bureaucracy preventing donations of food, water, and clothing from being distributed in the affected areas.

However, the most persistent piece of fake news is about the government hiding hundreds of corpses, which Jairo Jorge, mayor of the hard-hit city of Canoas, told the Associated Press is not true. He warned that "hidden actors behind the postings are exploiting the crisis to undermine trust in government."

The most alarming would be the posts that tell people that government alerts "were just politicians trying to alarm people." Ary Vanazzi, mayor of Sao Leopoldo, told the AP that this is making people ignore official warnings as they heed the social media posts instead.

"Because of that, many didn't leave their homes in this emergency. Some might have died because of it," said the Brazil mayor. "Sometimes we spend more time defending against lies than working to help our population."

Disinformation has been plaguing Brazil for years, with it becoming very prevalent head of the 2018 election won by Jair Bolsonaro, who is also infamous for spreading fake news himself. Much of the latest pieces of misinformation are also directed at the military.

One persistent rumor claimed that the general who leads the army's southern command was responsible for nonexistent deaths inside a hospital.

"These reports are disturbing because they do not reflect reality," an Army statement to the AP read. "Many active military were also victims of these floods. Many soldiers have lost their homes after the rains and remain on the front lines helping the population."

Brazil Floods Death Toll Rises to 149

The floods have devastated southern Brazil, especially in Rio Grande do Sul state. The death toll there has risen to 149 while there are still 108 people missing. Search and rescue operations continue as 250,000 houses are still without power and over 136,000 people have lost access to water.

According to WION, several towns are now completely submerged. In Porto Alegre, the downtown area has been described to be completely underwater.

Brazil Floods May Take Weeks to Subside

Experts say it might take weeks for the flooding to end. According to Reuters, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), water levels around southern Brazil could stabilize or keep rising if it rains again and this could take a month before the water retreats below flood levels. They based this on historical comparisons.

Meanwhile, Brazil President Lula has announced that the federal government will distribute 5,100 reais, which is around $992 to families affected by the floods. Around 240,000 families who have lost their houses or furniture in the historic floods will receive that money.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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