Candidate for reelection in São Paulo declared on his X profile that the rule must be “the same for everyone”
The mayor of São Paulo and candidate for reelection Ricardo Nunes (MDB) said this Saturday (Aug 24, 2024) that he is against any type of censorship. He made a publication in X after the businessman and competing candidate Pablo Marcal (PRTB) had its social networks temporarily suspended.
“The rule has to be the same for everyone. Either the courts (sic) allow all candidates to do the same, or no one uses a parallel structure with forced cuts.”said Nunes. Judge Antonio Maria Patiño Zorz, of the TRE (Regional Electoral Court) of São Paulo, temporarily suspended Marçal’s profiles this Saturday (August 24). The decision also affects the candidate’s activities on the Discord platform. Here is the full of the decision (PDF – 69 kB).
Marçal is the candidate in the São Paulo race who has grown the most in voting intentions in opinion polls in the last two weeks. He is already technically tied with Nunes and Guilherme Boulos (PSOL). Social media has been Marçal’s main tool to support his campaign. If he is banned from the digital environment, he will have difficulty getting his messages across to voters.
The PRTB candidate is being investigated on suspicion of abuse of economic power and improper use of the media. The investigation began after the PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party) of São Paulo, of the candidate Tabata Amaral, having filed a lawsuit on Thursday (22.Aug), in the 1st Electoral Zone of the city.
The candidate is accused of creating a strategy to spread content on social media and services streamingwith electoral objectives. According to the accusation, he allegedly used an app to encourage users to post content that, if viewed well, would be paid for. This tactic allegedly resulted in more than 2 billion views on TikTok and a significant increase in followers on Instagram, involving more than 5,000 people.
The origin of the financial resources used to pay participants in this strategy is questioned, as it may represent a type of electoral financing prohibited by law.
WHAT PABLO MARÇAL SAYS
In live posted on his Instagram, Marçal said he was “ironic”, because the president would pass Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) in number of followers on the social network this Saturday (Aug 24, 2024). He stated that he is the 3rd biggest politician on Instagram in Brazil.
“We are passing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the most popular man in the history of national politics”he declared. “It will bring down [a rede social] first. When you come back, everything will be fine.”he completed.
According to Marçal, Nunes is being helped by the President of the Republic to “solve the problems”and that the MDB candidate also needed the support of the following political figures:
Marçal said: “I’m a 37-year-old kid. I just got into politics. Why are you worried about me?”. In another video, he called Nunes, Boulos and the PSDB candidate for mayor, José Luiz Datena, scoundrels. “You will be unmasked. Every time I appear in a debate now, none of you gentlemen better go. You cowards.”he said.
“You [Ricardo Nunes] has the largest coalition, has the machine in hand and will lose just like Rodrigo Garcia […] I’m going to beat you up alone with a cell phone in my hand, Nunes. You’re going to be the guy I’m going to beat up the most now. ”, he declared.
The coach said he still doesn’t have “fear of jail”, from “governor”, “neither of the President of the Republic, nor of anyone else”. He asked supporters to record videos “Marçal mayor of Sao Paulo” on Instagram and YouTube. “I woke up knowing what you were going to do. There won’t be a second round. I warned you.” […] If anyone figures out how to stop me, let me know.”, he stated.
Federal deputy and candidate for Mayor of São Paulo Tabata Amaral (PSB) said that the Electoral Court’s decision indicates that there is “concrete suspicions that Marçal used illegal resources to promote himself in these elections”. She said: “It’s a preliminary decision. Basically, Pablo failed doping”.
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