Replica of Statue of Liberty Topples in Fierce Brazilian Storm

A massive replica of the Statue of Liberty, a signature landmark of the Brazilian retail chain Havan, dramatically collapsed on Monday amid powerful storm winds in Guaíba, a city in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state.

The 24-meter (79-foot) fiberglass structure, mounted on an 11-meter concrete pedestal for a total height of approximately 35 meters, slowly tilted before crashing into the parking lot of a Havan megastore. Installed in 2020, the replica had stood as a prominent visual marker for the store.

Videos captured by witnesses and widely shared on social media showed the statue leaning forward under gusts exceeding 90 km/h (56 mph), before toppling forward. The base remained upright, while the upper portion broke and fell.

No injuries were reported. Havan staff and bystanders quickly evacuated and isolated the area following severe weather alerts from Brazil’s Defesa Civil, which warned of winds over 90 km/h. Nearby vehicles were moved just in time, preventing further damage.

In a statement, Havan confirmed the structure held proper engineering certifications (Anotação de Responsabilidade Técnica) and emphasized that safety protocols were followed. The company has launched an internal investigation into the cause of the failure. Debris removal began shortly after, with store operations largely unaffected.