Uganda’s Hyper Kids caught in Brazilian political storm after paid campaign video

What the report says

Ugandan dance group Hyper Kids Africa has become entangled in a political dispute in Brazil after a video of the children supporting presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro spread on Brazilian social media, according to Sqoop Uganda. The clip, published on October 7, showed the performers in yellow shirts marked with a “B22” logo and tied to a cryptocurrency campaign meant to promote pro-Bolsonaro content online.

Sqoop Uganda reported that the group was paid in Bolsonaro tokens, with BBC Brasil cited as saying the amount was 120 million tokens, valued at about $20,000. Representatives for Hyper Kids Africa said the arrangement was intended to help fund and complete the construction of the group’s home in Uganda. Flávio Bolsonaro is described in the article as the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and a figure in Brazil’s contested presidential politics.

The article says the video drew strong criticism from Brazil’s political establishment. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s coalition filed a complaint with Brazil’s top electoral court, seeking removal of the video and action against related B22 websites. A separate petition also asked child protection authorities to review whether Brazilian laws on the commercial use of children in political advertising had been violated.

Facing public backlash and legal pressure, Hyper Kids Africa removed the video, apologized, and said it would return the tokens. The case highlights how young creators can become involved in foreign political campaigns through online promotion and digital payments, especially when local child protection rules may come into play.