Another alert from Cartooning for Peace reports that, since July 2026, the Brazilian cartoonist Gilmar Machado Barbosam, also known online as“Cartunista Das Cavernas”, has been receiving death threats on Facebook because of his editorial cartoons. These messages, which have become increasingly violent, have escalated into explicit death threats.
The cartoonist has received these threats both via private messages and in the comments on his posts. One user even went so far as to post a doctored photo of the cartoonist, in which he appears with a bullet in his head. The cartoonist has filed a complaint with the São Paulo State Police regarding the threats and insults.
These threats have intensified in recent weeks against the backdrop of the Brazilian presidential election, which pits the outgoing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – known as ‘Lula’ – against Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro. Journalists are having to work in an environment of pressure and threats from Brazil’s far right.
Caption in grey: “Believe it or not…”. Flávio Bolsonaro, depicted as a snake, encircles and traps a worker and says to him: “If I am elected, I will defend workers’ rights”.
Cartooning for Peace, which is closely monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings, expresses its concern at the death threats directed at the Brazilian cartoonist Cartunista Das Cavernas and strongly condemns the attacks and acts of intimidation against the Brazilian press, particularly in the context of the elections.
The Brazilian press has been the target of numerous attacks by Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters in the past. According to theCoalition for the Defence of Journalism (CDJor), attacks on the press on social media increased significantly in the days leading up to the first round of the elections. Like journalists, Brazilian cartoonists are routinely subjected to attacks and threats because of their work.
The 2026 election campaign reached the first round against a backdrop of increasing hostility towards the press. Journalists attacked for their reporting, women subjected to misogynistic abuse and media organisations accused of manipulating information were all part of a digital environment in which political coverage became a recurring trigger for attacks. Between 16 August and 4 October, CDJoridentified 14,182 attacks against journalists and media organisations on X and Instagram. In total, around 3.7 million posts and comments were analysed across both platforms.
Violence escalated as the election drew nearer. According to CDJor, the daily average rose from 188 attacks at the start of the campaign to327 in the eight days leading up to the first round, representing an increase of approximately 74 per cent .
Full report:
Humour in Trouble: A Collection of Cases
Cases of cartoonists who have faced significant problems as a result of their satirical cartoons or illustrations. There are also some stories of other people who, whilst not cartoonists themselves, have run into trouble for sharing them.
