Brazilian government employee repeats Musk’s gesture similar to Nazi Salute
30 de January de 2025
By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – Marcelo Costa Mota, a 46-year-old employee of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), replicated the behavior of businessman Elon Musk by making a gesture similar to the “Sieg Heil” salute used by Adolf Hitler’s totalitarian regime during World War II (1939-1945), according to images obtained by CENARIUM.
A photograph of Marcelo was published on January 25, five days after Musk made a similar gesture at former President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. (USA). After the image spread across messaging groups, the employee spoke on social media, claiming the gesture was “a joke,” but later deleted the post. Businessman Elon Musk also denied any Nazi reference after facing criticism, justifying that the gesture symbolized “the heart reaching out to the crowd.”
According to Brazilian law, it is prohibited to “manufacture, commercialize, distribute, or display symbols, emblems, ornaments, insignias, or propaganda that use the swastika or similar symbols for the promotion of Nazism.” Known as the “Racism Law” (No. 7,716/89), it establishes prison sentences ranging from two to five years for those convicted of such crimes. The Brazilian Penal Code, under Article 287, also classifies the act of advocating for criminal ideologies as a crime, punishable by three to six months of detention or a fine. When associated with symbols or ideologies that promote discrimination or intolerance, the act can be further scrutinized.
In the image accessed by CENARIUM, the Embrapa employee is seen wearing light-colored shorts and a black shirt, raising his right arm at an upward angle with his fingers slightly tilted downward. He is also holding a red, white, and black flag featuring an eagle and a cross. The symbols and gesture are similar to those used by Nazi Germany. When contacted for a statement, the employee said he would refer all inquiries to his legal counsel.
Marcelo Costa Mota is an IT technician at Embrapa in Manaus (AM), serving in a leadership sector. According to information gathered by CENARIUM, he has held this position since joining the institution on September 29, 2008.
On Tuesday, January 28, Embrapa, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), stated that it is “investigating the facts to take appropriate measures based on its internal regulations and legal framework.”
The Second Reich
Dr. César Augusto Queirós, a historian with a Ph.D. from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and a professor at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), told CENARIUM that the image clearly depicts a Nazi salute, further reinforced by the presence of the Second Reich flag. The expert explained that Nazism appropriated and repurposed many national symbols.
“He is clearly reproducing a Nazi salute, which is further emphasized by the use of the Second Reich flag. The eagle, a symbol of Germany, was reappropriated, and the swastika was incorporated. The Iron Cross, also featured on the flag, had a swastika added to its center”, said Dr. Queirós.
César Augusto pointed out that these symbols are used by neo-Nazis and the far right as a reaffirmation of supremacist ideals. He emphasized that extremists carry significant anti-immigrant and xenophobic sentiments. “We must understand these actions as expressions of far-right ideologies, which dangerously align with Nazi and fascist beliefs”, he concluded.
Musical Connection
Besides being an Embrapa employee, Marcelo is also the owner of an independent music label called Kingdom of Darkness Productions and was a member of the Black Metal Manaus scene. After the Nazi-referencing photo spread through messaging groups, he responded via the label’s social media page, claiming the image was “a joke.” The post was later deleted, but CENARIUM obtained a copy.
To confirm Marcelo’s connection to the independent music label and the post in which he denied the Nazi affiliation, the website of the band Black Goat, of which he was also a member, was reviewed. According to publicly available information, Marcelo joined the group on September 13, 2014. Additionally, records updated in October 2023 confirm that he is the owner of Kingdom of Darkness Productions.
Deleted Statement
In the retraction note posted on social media, Marcelo Mota claimed the image in which he appears making the Nazi-associated gesture was “posted by other people” He stated that he has always been “labeled as a playboy, a ‘condo rocker,’ and a ‘nazi’” and claimed he was a victim of “defamation.” He also referenced a report aired on Fantástico, a TV Globo program, on Sunday, January 26, which covered Brazilian Black Metal bands linked to Nazi ideology.
Marcelo further explained that the photo was taken during a gathering with two friends on Saturday, where they were drinking and listening to music. He insisted that the image was just “a joke” amidst the loud political debates in the metal scene. “We took a photo, joking about all this, and it ended up leaking and escalating,” Marcelo stated via Kingdom of Darkness Productions’ profile.
However, he did not clarify the presence of a flag with Nazi symbols in the setting or explain the context in which it appeared. The image also does not show the two friends he mentioned in his post.
Following the backlash, Marcelo allegedly sent a message in a private chat saying he was “considering” shutting down his label after some of the bands associated with it distanced themselves from Kingdom of Darkness Productions. “I must respect their wishes. I won’t force anyone to be by my side… I don’t need to and never will need to message anyone,” he stated. See message sent by a group member to CENARIUM:
Employee’s Online Group
According to information obtained by CENARIUM, Marcelo Mota also administers a group named Kingdom of Darkness Productions. In one of the messages sent in this group, an unidentified member states, “If the communist f** still hangs around here, we’ll end up in jail.”
In the same message, sent at 3:51 PM, the individual describes a circular tattoo on the back of his hand that resembles a swastika. He mentions that he had visited a police station to report a stolen motorcycle, and the officer questioned him about the tattoo.
“I told him [the officer] that it represents a Black Sun, and for me, it has significant meaning. I had to testify about the tattoo before they even filed my stolen vehicle report,” he wrote. See the text:
The Black Sun (Schwarze Sonne in German) is an esoteric symbol linked to Nazi occultism and later adopted by neo-Nazi and far-right movements. It appears as a circle with 12 rays emanating from the center, resembling a solar wheel. While not widely used by the Nazi government at the time, the symbol resurfaced post-war and has since been embraced by white supremacist and far-right esoteric groups. In many cases, it serves as an alternative to the swastika, which is banned in several countries. In 2022, a photo of a Ukrainian soldier bearing a Black Sun tattoo went viral on social media, prompting international media coverage on the symbol’s significance.
In the messaging group attributed to Marcelo Mota, after sending the photo of the Black Sun, the same contact sends another message, followed by three more in the next few minutes. He mentions that he allegedly questioned the police authority if they would spend two hours listening to his explanations about the “[tattoo’s] meaning.” “He [the officer] told me that he thought it was a Nazi symbol,” he highlighted.
The author of the message also says that, once again, he questioned the police authority if they had studied history. “Have you ever heard of the Weimar Republic?”—a reference to the transitional period between World War I and Nazism. “No one ever talked about what would happen, about Jewish oppression over the Germans.” He also criticizes the Brazilian parliament, stating that deputies and senators are “responsible for these baseless, bogus laws.” See the messages:
Nearly five hours later, another member of the group administered by Marcelo Costa, identified in the messages as Rafael Teles, responds to a message from the Embrapa employee. The message contains a photo of him making a gesture in support of Nazism, and Teles offers his support. The report found that his full name is Rafael Junqueira Lima Teles, and his area code is from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
“Don’t worry […] If you want me to help, I’ll post a picture of my autographed Mein Kampf,” Teles says, referring to Adolf Hitler’s two-volume book in which he expressed his antisemitic, anti-communist, and far-right nationalist ideas.
At 8:41 PM, Rafael Teles sends another message in which he states that “a lot of people will take this opportunity to pose as the holder of some truth.” The group member adds that “the move is to take it to litigation and cause chaos. We’re in this together… 666“, he concludes. See the messages:
The group spreading neo-Nazi ideas also includes members from four Brazilian states, including São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Amazonas. This information is found in the content accessed by CENARIUM. The report also found that the full name of a group member from Sergipe is Warwick Gomes Alves. He also sent an image to the group, but it was not possible to identify its content.
Brazil Criminalizes Advocacy
Brazil’s Racism Law classifies as a crime “the manufacture, commercialization, distribution, and dissemination of symbols, emblems, ornaments, badges, or propaganda that use the swastika or hooked cross for the purpose of promoting Nazism.” This offense is provided for in Article 20, §1 of Law No. 7.716/1989, with a penalty of two to five years in prison and a fine.
Article 287 of the Brazilian Penal Code defines the offense of advocating for a crime and establishes a penalty of three to six months in detention or a fine “for publicly praising a criminal act or its perpetrator.” “When there is an association with symbols or ideologies that promote discrimination or intolerance, the conduct may be analyzed under the perspective of current legislation,” specialists consulted for the report pointed out.
Brazil is a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which instructs signatory countries to adopt measures to curb and punish expressions of racial hatred and the advocacy of totalitarian regimes responsible for crimes against humanity.
It is the responsibility of the Federal Police (PF) and the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) to investigate reports of the use of Nazi symbols and gestures associated with this context.
Embrapa Contacted
CENARIUM reached out to Embrapa, through its press office, for comments on the case involving employee Marcelo Costa, who holds the position of technician in the Information Technology division. The institution stated that it “has no knowledge” of the case, strongly condemned “any manifestations like the one depicted in the image,” and emphasized that it “is investigating the facts to take appropriate action.”