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São Paulo governor fined for campaign speech at evangelical service Image: Divulgação
🇧🇷 Brazil /Elections & Politics

São Paulo governor fined for campaign speech at evangelical service

From Estadão · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas received a 2,000-real fine from the São Paulo Regional Electoral Court for promoting candidates during an evangelical service.
  • The court said churches count as common-use public spaces under Brazil's electoral law, where campaign advertising is prohibited.
  • The ruling said an explicit request for votes was not necessary to establish electoral support; Tarcísio's campaign had not commented.

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas was fined 2,000 reais for turning an evangelical church service into a platform to promote allied candidates.

The São Paulo Regional Electoral Court said the speech breached rules against electoral campaigning in common-use public spaces. Brazilian election law places temples in that category even when they are privately owned, alongside locations such as bus stops and overpasses.

The illegality arises exclusively from using the religious space to express support for specific candidacies.

— Ronnie Herbert Barros SoaresThe electoral judge explained why the court considered the church speech unlawful despite its religious setting.

The speech took place on Aug. 17 at an Assembly of God church. According to the complaint, Tarcísio spoke from the pulpit, used the church sound system and named candidates from his political group, including Paulo Freire, André do Prado, Guilherme Derrite and Marta Costa.

You have to continue being an instrument in the Chamber of Deputies.

— Tarcísio de FreitasHe addressed federal lawmaker Paulo Freire during the church speech.

Tarcísio told Freire that he should continue being an instrument in the Chamber of Deputies. He also said São Paulo deserved André do Prado and Guilherme Derrite as senators, while the lower house deserved Paulo Freire. He added that the state legislature deserved Marta Costa, saying he also needed someone there to continue supporting him.

Judge Ronnie Herbert Barros Soares said the speech began with religious content and a reference to the Book of Jeremiah, but changed tone when Tarcísio turned to the election and presented specific candidacies. The judge said religious freedom was compatible with the ban because the illegality came from using religious space to support named candidates. Tarcísio's defense said he had been invited to attend the service, while his campaign had not yet responded.

The State of São Paulo deserves good senators. It deserves André do Prado and Guilherme Derrite. The Federal Chamber deserves Paulo Freire (...) And the Legislative Assembly deserves Marta Costa. In fact, the Legislative Assembly deserves her, and I deserve her too, because I need someone to continue supporting me there.

— Tarcísio de FreitasThe governor named allied candidates and endorsed them for legislative posts.
About this summary

Originally published by Estadão in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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