Public prosecutors will prosecute a woman from Rio Grande do Sul who insulted people from Maranhão.

Maranhao 247 – The Public Prosecutor's Office of Maranhão (MP-MA) announced that legal action will be taken against Isabela Cardoso, after the 24-year-old from Rio Grande do Sul criticized the habits and culture of Maranhão on Facebook. She lived in Imperatriz, the state's second-largest city, and was reportedly married to an employee of the Suzano Papel e Celulose company.

"Finally home, after 1 year and 7 months at SUSANO in Imperatriz, my husband and I returned to our city. Poor state, lol. Maranhão culture is horrible, the carnival is trash, 'That 'bomba meu boi' thing (sic), 'tambor de crioula'. Most of the women are promiscuous and the men are scoundrels. More than half the people are semi-illiterate (sic) #ILoveMyCity #GramadoRS," said Isabela.

The Public Prosecutor of the State of Maranhão, Joaquim Júnior, said via social media that he will treat Isabela's post as a crime. "PREJUDICE: in the early hours of this Monday, the Public Prosecutor's Office will take action against a former Suzano employee in Imperatriz who made prejudiced comments against people from Maranhão on social media, as well as against women who reside here. The act is considered a crime under the law," he stated.

According to the law, xenophobia can be defined as the practice, inducement, or incitement of prejudice based on race, color, ethnicity, and religion. The crime is stipulated in Article 20 of Law No. 7716/89, with a penalty of imprisonment ranging from 1 to 3 years, in addition to a fine. If committed through means of communication, such as the internet, the penalty can be increased to 2 to 5 years and a fine, according to paragraph 2 of the same Law.