Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

Grocery store in viral video is in Brazil, not Colorado | Fact check

A Sept. 9 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows an Instagram video of shoppers carrying armfuls of groceries down a supermarket aisle.
“Venezuelans over run a store in Colorado (sic),” reads text in the video, which also states its location as “Aurora Park.”
The Instagram video received more than 1,500 likes before it was deleted. It was shared thousands of times on TikTok and accumulated thousands of additional reposts on X, formerly Twitter before it was deleted there, too.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
The grocery store is located in Brazil. A sign in the video bears the name of a Brazilian supermarket chain that does not operate a location in Aurora, Colorado.
The claim taps into concerns stemming from unfounded reports that a Venezuelan street gang took control of a Colorado apartment complex. While authorities in the Denver suburb of Aurora acknowledge the Tren de Aragua gang has a “presence” there, they said the apartment building in question has not been “taken over.”
But the claim in the post is false. The grocery store shown in the video is not located in Colorado. It’s in Brazil, as numerous clues make clear.
Fact check: Shelter-in-place order in Aurora, Colorado, unrelated to gang activity
A sign visible in the background reads “Bompreço,” the Brazilian Portuguese word for “good price” and the name of a regional supermarket chain in Brazil once owned by Walmart before it was rebranded in 2021. There is no business in Aurora with that name.
An end-of-aisle marker lists items found in aisle No. 13, and they include “leite condensado,” “cremes de leite” and “mistura p/ bolos.” Those are the Brazilian Portuguese words for condensed milk, creams and cake mix, respectively.
At one point in the video, shoppers are seen carrying Dona Benta packages. That Brazilian company produces flour, pasta and pre-made baking mixes. Those products are not widely available in American supermarkets.
USA TODAY previously debunked a false claim that a video shows Hells Angels motorcycling to Colorado to confront the Venezuelan gang and that a shelter-in-place order in Aurora was related to the gang.
USA TODAY reached out to multiple social media users who shared the video but did not immediately receive responses.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

en_USEnglish