09/28/2024 – 8:08
Electoral debates, like the one taking place this Saturday, 28th, at 9pm, on Record between the candidates for Mayor of São Paulo, tend to generate great repercussions in Brazil not only because it is a time to pay attention to the proposals, but above all also due to the clashes fought among the postulants. They did not reach the chair or punch, scenes seen between candidates for succession in the capital of São Paulo in front of the cameras and between assistants outside of them. However, the history of elections in the country has records of tension and an aggressive tone between competitors.
In 1982, for example, the debate between candidates running for governor of São Paulo was marked by tension between former president Jânio Quadros (PTB) and Franco Montoro (PMDB). The PMDB member used a quote from his opponent’s former Finance Minister, Clemente Mariani, who said that he was forced to issue (money) after Quadros’ resignation, which was “more expensive than the construction of Brasília”, insinuating that the PT member was corrupt.
Montoro asked the former president to refute or deny the statement, to which Quadros responded “I can neither refute nor deny it. Where is this information written?” Montoro picked up the book “Depoimento”, by Carlos Lacerda, and pointed to the page while laughing.
With irony, Jânio Quadros replied: “You are excused because you have just wanted to quote the Scriptures, using Asmodeus or Satan. I don’t want to hear it.” The good mood, however, turned into arguments. Montoro tried to read the excerpts while the former president shouted that he didn’t want to hear it. Mediator Joelmir Beting had to intervene and give the floor to Quadros who asked: “It’s my time, and please don’t tell me to shut up, keep your Carlos Lacerda and sleep with him, he should make you feel good. ”.
‘Download’
Two other famous figures in national politics, Paulo Maluf (PDS) and Leonel Brizola (PDT), were involved in one of the biggest fights in history in the first presidential debate after the military dictatorship, in 1989. Maluf began by saying that he had not gone to the debate to “ watching would lower it” and, therefore, candidates were required to have emotional stability. “Whoever is unbalanced cannot be a candidate for President of the Republic”, he stated. Brizola interrupted, asking for a comment, which started a shouting match between the two candidates.
The PED member then referred to Maluf as a “child of the dictatorship” who did not have the courage to defend his “bosses”. The opponent responded by calling him unbalanced and adding that Brizola had spent fifteen years outside Brazil “and learned nothing”, referring to the time the candidate was in exile during the period of the military dictatorship.
The clash between the then candidates Paulo Maluf and Mário Covas was intense in the dispute for the government of São Paulo in 1998. The meeting was met with insults from both sides. Maluf called Covas ignorant, a deadbeat and said that his opponent wasn’t learning anything in life. On the other hand, Covas stated that the opponent’s history was of a low level. At another point, Covas questioned Maluf about a speech in which he said he was “more honest than Jesus Christ”. “You think you are above Jesus Christ, you think you are God, you don’t put yourself in his place”, stated the candidate.
‘Be quiet’
In the 2000 elections to choose the mayor of São Paulo, the debate between the candidates was also filled with arguments, starting with Marta Suplicy (PT) and Paulo Maluf (PDS). The candidate accused Marta of being “administratively disqualified” and was interrupted by his opponent, who shouted “I’m not going to listen to this”. After the mediator intervened, Maluf continued to criticize the PT member’s behavior.
“You have already been condemned for insulting me, and I will sue you again, because you will have to take action. You stay quiet and stop making assumptions,” he said. “Shut up, Maluf”, shouted the PT member.
The most recent clashes also include disagreements between the candidates, as is the case of the discussion between the candidates for the Presidency of the Republic in 2014 Aécio Neves (PSDB) and Luciana Genro (PSOL). She accused her opponent of having no “connection with reality”. “You who travel on a jet, who earn a high salary, don’t know the reality of the people, you from the PSDB make fun of the people who travel on crowded buses, crowded subways, live on minimum wage”, criticized Luciana, who concluded by calling Aécio “ fanatic of privatization and corruption.” The toucan responded by asking her not to be “flippant”.
Fernando Collor had a heated argument in a clash with Rodrigo Cunha during the elections for the government of Alagoas in 2022. Collor asked the senator to explain why he had nominated his girlfriend for a position in the secretariat of Maceió City Hall, confronting the opponent’s speech about choose people for positions according to technical capacity. The senator stood up, interrupting Collor, who was repeatedly shouting “Bite your lips, bite your lips!”
‘Priest Candidate’
One of the 2022 presidential debates also had moments of disagreement. Then a candidate for União Brasil, senator Soraya Thronicke started the clash by changing the name of Father Kelmon, who was running for PTB. “Father Kelson. Kelvin? Priest candidate”, he joked. In the middle of a response, he called him a “festa junina priest”. The PTB candidate also fell out with current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). The PT member was interrupted in his speech by the PT member and complained: “It is not possible to debate with a person who behaves like a Pharisee and calls himself a priest.”
The information is from the newspaper The State of S. Paulo.
#history #debates #didnt #arenas