Brazil’s military is not happy that its generals are being compared to “watermelons” in social media posts, suggesting they are green on the outside and communist red on the inside.
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who recently he lost his bid to be re-elected presidenthave been making the comparison as they try to pressure the army to stage a coup about the result.
Some have accused the top generals of being too close to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvathe veteran left-wing candidate who narrowly won Mr. Bolsonaro.
In one example, Twitter user Eugenia Moreira da Costa posted an image with the caption: “These are 4 communist generals who are against the people, they want a Lula government.
“They are watermelon generals, green on the outside, red on the inside.”
The military has refused to stage a coup or block a transfer of power, despite Bolsonaro’s claims that the country’s electronic voting system was open to fraud.
The army communications chief said the force chief had told him to counter any posts containing “lying and malicious allusions about members of the Army High Command,” according to a statement seen by Reuters.
These messages were a “malicious and criminal attempt to stain the personal honor of soldiers with more than 40 years of service,” wrote General José Ricardo Vendramin Nunes.
He called the online criticism “misinformation” and insisted that “the Brazilian army remains cohesive and united.”
The army’s disdain for the watermelon comparison contrasts with the love it showed in Ukraine earlier this month.
Memes celebrating the fruit arose when Kherson was liberated, as they are a well-known product of the region.
Ukraine’s prime minister even posted a photo of himself holding an impressive specimen, and the Shakhtar Donetsk football club joked that they were using a watermelon as a “special ball.”
