Fake News Targets brazilian Journalist William Bonner with Baseless Visa Claims
São Paulo, Brazil – Prominent Brazilian journalist William Bonner, recently announcing his departure from the flagship news program jornal Nacional, has become the subject of a coordinated disinformation campaign alleging he fears losing his visa to visit his children abroad.The false claims began circulating rapidly on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter),TikTok,and Instagram following Monday’s declaration.
Posts,some garnering over 16,000 reactions within hours,falsely state Bonner is “afraid of having his visa canceled” due to his children living overseas. Some online content even attempts to link the situation to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, a Supreme Court Justice who has been subject to scrutiny under the Magnitsky Act - a U.S. law imposing sanctions on individuals accused of human rights abuses or corruption.
The disinformation campaign further dredges up past Jornal Nacional segments, selectively editing them to suggest Bonner has previously shown bias against figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
However, the claims are demonstrably false. None of william Bonner’s children reside in the United States. his daughter, Beatriz, lives in Brazil, while his sons, Vinicius and Laura, live in france. Crucially, French travel does not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days for individuals with a valid passport, international health insurance, and confirmed travel/lodging arrangements.
As of this publication, Globo, the media conglomerate employing Bonner, has not issued a statement regarding the false claims. This report will be updated should a response be provided.
Bonner addressed his decision to step down from Jornal Nacional after 29 years in a recent broadcast, citing a desire to prioritize family time. He explained that the decision was made five years ago, and solidified when he realized balancing professional responsibilities with his children’s lives – including one child’s move to study abroad – was becoming unsustainable. “At that time… things were left out that I would also like to do. The account was not closing,” he stated.
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