The vice-president of the (Superior Electoral Court), , ordered the leader of the PL in , deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (RJ), to delete from social media a video in which he suggests, without presenting evidence, that it is financed by the criminal factions CV (Comando Vermelho) and (Primeiro Comando da Capital).
The publication suggested that government investigations into the organizations had found evidence that the illicit money they moved financed PT campaigns. American President Donald Trump determined.
The post does not provide any proof of the accusation. Sóstenes Cavalcante first appears saying that it is not true that Trump will “send bombs and missiles” to communities because of the classification of PCC and CV as terrorists. According to the deputy, this is being spread by “presidents of NGOs”.
He then states that the US goes after money from criminal factions and that “there are great suspicions” that he finances PT campaigns.
In the preliminary injunction, Minister André Mendonça states that the possibility of criticism is part of democracy, but does not allow the dissemination of “untrue, decontextualized facts or without minimum support”.
“Freedom of expression does not protect, in principle, the attribution of a serious illegal act”, he states. “What is prohibited, at this moment, is not public discussion on such topics, but the maintenance of specific content that, in an electoral context, attributes to a political party the suspicion of financing by criminal factions without indicating a minimum basis for verification.”
When contacted, deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante did not respond until the publication of this report.
For Mendonça, the disclosure of a serious accusation without minimal proof has the potential to compromise the integrity of the electoral debate and mislead the electorate.
The injunction, issued on Friday (19), determined the deletion of the post within 24 hours, under penalty of a daily fine. The decision was taken after a representation filed by the Brasil da Esperança federation, which brings together PT, PV (Green Party) and PC do B (Communist Party of Brazil). On Sunday (21), at 7pm, the video continued on Instagram.
Lula’s campaign has already triggered the TSE more than 60 times, mainly due to the use of i in videos published by opponents.
Among the more than 60 proposed actions, 18 are against the campaign. But the PT also filed a lawsuit against the presidential candidate and Bolsonaro pre-candidates. Most are through advance advertising.
