Brazil: At Least Two Dead Due to Methanol Poisoning

Published OCT 6

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Above: Bottles of distilled beverages are displayed on a bar shelf in downtown São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 3, 2025. Image copyright: Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

The methanol poisoning crisis in Brazil stems directly from six years of neoliberal policies under Michel Temer and Jair Bolsonaro, whose administrations served only to dismantle state institutions. It's no coincidence that clandestine factories likely linked to organized crime have since thrived. The lack of oversight has created perfect conditions for criminals to flood the market with toxic fake alcohol that's now killing people.

Brasil 247

Government-critical narrative

Government officials are making the methanol crisis worse by spreading panic and avoiding real solutions. When the country's health minister advises the nation not to drink distilled beverages for now, he effectively expresses a lack of confidence in the food and beverage sector and in government inspections. Neither this approach nor a bill defining adulterating alcoholic beverages as a heinous crime will solve the crisis.

Estadão