A photo shared on Facebook purportedly shows Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva holding a satanic figurine. 

Verdict: False

This image has been digitally altered. The original version shows Lula holding a figurine of himself.

Fact Check: 

Lula recently won the Brazil election over right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, NPR reported. Lula was unable to run in the previous presidential election in 2018 due to a prison sentence, according to BBC.

The Facebook image claims to show a picture of Lula with a miniature satanic figurine. The image features Lula smiling and giving a thumbs-up. “The proposed new Brazil president?” the caption reads. “Worshipper of Satan.” (RELATED: No, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Did Not Declare Martial Law)

The claim was also shared on Twitter where it garnered over 230 retweets. “This is Lula,” the tweet reads. “A man who is now proudly photographed holding a statuette of Baphomet during a visit to a satanic church in São Paulo.”

This image is digitally altered. The unedited photo was posted to Lula’s verified Facebook account. In this photo, he is holding a figurine of himself, and not a satanic entity. “Good night from Lula with his youngest Lulinha (in sarrada)!” the caption reads.

The Brazilian election, in the days leading up to the actual vote, had seen a rise in posts accusing both Bolsonaro and da Silva of Satanism and other religious offenses, according to France 24. Some posts accused da Silva of “mortal sins ranging from a plot to close churches to a pact with Satan,” the outlet reported.

This is not the first time misinformation surrounding Lula’s election spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim there were massive riots protesting his election.