Tourism Minister Tries To Censor Folha Concerning Money Embezzlement Scheme

Marcelo Álvaro Antônio filed an injunction demanding the newspaper to delete news stories revealing his connection to the scheme; the courts denied his request

Feb.26.2019 11:20AM

BRASÍLIA

Tourism minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio had an injunction to censor denied by judge Grace Correa Pereira Maia, in Brasília. The minister demanded the newspaper delete news stories that revealed his connection with the PSL phony candidate scheme during last year's general elections in Minas Gerais.

The judge's ruling, from last Friday (22nd), said that the documents presented by the minister "don't prove that the news pieces are untrue and/or illegal and/or offensive to the plaintiff."

"Withdrawing journalistic material is an act of censorship, which is admissible only in extreme situations. It is not the case in question," the judge continued. The minister is entitled to an appeal.

Antônio was requesting that Folha's coverage, comprised of 13 news pieces, to be deleted from its website and that the newspaper should pay him a sum of R$ 100,000 (US$ 26,700).

More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2019/02/tourism-minister-tries-to-censor-folha-concerning-money-embezzlement-scheme.shtml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsen