On December 15, a 79-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty collapsed during a severe storm in Guaiba, Brazil. The incident was caught on camera and videos showing the statue tilting and falling went viral on social media. One viral video surpassed 5 million views.
The replica stood in the parking lot of the Havana megastore in Guaiba. It is part of the metropolitan area of Rio Grande do Sul.
While the 24-meter statue fell, its 11-meter concrete base remained intact. Debris removal began within hours and the Havan store continued to operate normally without interruption.
Havan, a major Brazilian retail chain, is known for installing large replicas of the Statue of Liberty in front of many of its stores. This statue was installed in 2020. Since then, it has become a local landmark.
According to reports, strong winds of around 80 to 90 km/h caused the structure to lose its balance and overturn. Fortunately, there were no injuries and no damage to nearby vehicles.
After the collapse, Havana employees and people in the area acted quickly to secure the area. The vehicles were moved away in time.
Guaiba Mayor Marcelo Maranata praised the quick response of Havana employees and the local civil defense team. According to him, their actions helped prevent injuries in dangerous weather conditions.
Havan said that all of its Statue of Liberty replicas throughout Brazil meet technical and safety standards and have proper technical approvals. The company launched an internal investigation to understand why the structure failed.
This is the second such incident involving the Havana statue. A similar collapse occurred during the 2021 Capao da Canoa cyclone.
Reaction on social networks
Social network users reacted to the drop.
“It sums up the world today,” wrote one, sharing a screenshot of an upside-down replica of the Statue of Liberty.
“Right next to McDonald’s it adds an American ethos to it all,” commented another.
“The Statue of Liberty falls in front of McDonald’s. Iconic,” another user pointed out.
Another user showed the broken pieces of the replica and joked: “Selling fallen statue souvenirs: $50.”
“I’m not sure if the Statue of Liberty replica in the parking lot next to McDonald’s is the most American thing I’ve ever seen or treason. There is no middle ground,” chimed in another.
