Is the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro really dressed in an enormous embroidered shirt?

Ukrainians are overjoyed; russians are gloating. The photo shows the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil dressed in an enormous embroidered shirt, but, once again, it’s a case of photo manipulation and follows a recurring pattern.

“Bravo Rio de Janeiro! An incredible campaign to support Ukraine! Imagine all the work that went into it. Sincere thanks to you, dear Brazil!” expressed a user. The post garnered over a thousand likes and 5,500 shares. If only our fact-checks received such widespread dissemination!

Moved by Brazil’s solidarity, Ukrainians express their gratitude, and even skeptical comments regarding the authenticity of the photo fail to persuade them to the contrary. Meanwhile, russians, who find themselves navigating the Ukrainian segment of social media, gloat and point out jokingly that Ukrainians have also dug out the Black Sea.

It’s quite straightforward to confirm that this image is indeed a case of photo manipulation – a simple reverse Google search shows the original photo on one of Rio de Janeiro’s tourism websites. If you pay attention to details, notably the positioning of individuals at the statue’s base, it becomes evident that this photo served as the foundation for the manipulated version.

This fake is not new; it recurs periodically. In early August 2022, it gained traction on Twitter (now X) and was notably popular on Ukraine’s Independence Day