FACT CHECK: Did Coca-Cola Post This Meme Mentioning ‘Fatphobia’ And ‘Death Squads’ On Instagram?
An image shared on Instagram purportedly shows a meme posted by Coca-Cola that mentions “company funded death squads” and “fatphobia.”
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
The brand did not post the image in question.
Fact Check:
The image shows what appears to be a screen grab of a post from Coca-Cola’s verified Instagram account that includes the “Yes Chad” and “Crying Wojak” memes. The “Crying Wojak” is pictured saying, “NOOOOOOOO you can’t drink coke its full of corn syrup and the company funded death squads,” to which the “Yes Chad” responds “YES, I CAN” and “Ignoring your fatphobia and treating myself is self-care #ICanHaveACan.”
“To everyone caring for themselves, we see you and applaud your strength,” reads the alleged post’s caption. Coca-Cola’s Instagram account has roughly 2.7 million followers at the time of publication. (RELATED: Is Georgia Removing All Coca-Cola Products From All State-Owned Buildings?)
The post appears to be alluding to accusations Coca-Cola faced that alleged some Columbian-owned companies bottling Coca-Cola beverages contracted operatives from the paramilitary organization United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia to kill union leaders between 1990 and 2003, The Guardian reported. Former Coca-Cola spokesperson Rafael Fernandez Quiros denied the accusations at the time, saying, “We as a company vigorously deny any wrongdoing concerning human rights in Colombia or anywhere else.”
There is no record of Coca-Cola sharing the meme shown in the Instagram post. None of the company’s real posts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feature the term “death squads,” nor do they utilize the “Yes Chad” or “Crying Wojak” memes. Check Your Fact could not find a single credible news report online of Coca-Cola ever using such memes. Nothing resembling the phrase “deaths squads” appears in any press releases issued by the corporation. The image shared on Instagram can be found on the meme website iFunny.
Coca-Cola did share a July 28 post on Instagram with a caption that addressed it to “everyone caring for themselves.” However, the real post’s images only contained the company’s logo and text stating, “Self-love is selfless. Especially when the world is watching. Cheers to caring for yourself first.”
