STATE REPRESENTATIVE INSULTS JOURNALIST IN DEBATE

During the debate between the candidates for the government of São Paulo, held by the press pool formed by TV Cultura, Folha de São Paulo, and UOL, on Tuesday (13/09), the state representative Douglas Garcia (Republicanos), supporter of Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal), verbally attacked the journalist Vera Magalhães, from TV Cultura and Estadão. Garcia used his own cell phone to film himself while offending the journalist. He questioned her if she received R$ 500 thousand to speak ill of Bolsonaro. Later, he called her “a shame to the Brazilian journalism”. The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) will investigate the case as crimes of stalking and emotional damage. The lawyers also informed that the journalist has been persecuted by the congressman since 2020, when he started publishing videos on social networks against the journalist, using fake news to try to demoralize her and discredit her reports on the federal government. Garcia was invited to the debate by Tarcísio Freitas (Republicanos), but after the incident, Freitas excused himself for the offenses and condemned Garcia’s attitude. Eduardo Bolsonaro, Republicanos party and others also repudiated the episode.