Most Brazilian presidential candidates, except President Jair Bolsonaro, criticized the behavior of Bolsonarist deputy Douglas Garcia during a televised debate with journalist Vera Magalhaes.
On the night of September 13, state deputy Douglas Garcia, a supporter of Bolsonaro and the São Paulo governor candidate Tarcísio de Freitas, challenged the aforementioned journalist by recording her with his cell phone.
He confronted her, saying that she was an embarrassment to journalism.
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On social networks, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2011) expressed his sadness at the lack of ‘respect’ against the journalist, adding that the debates should be news for the news, “not for the attacks against women journalists, promoted by those who live off hate and do not like democracy”.
Other candidates also criticized the act.
Labor Party member Ciro Gomes affirmed that what he called dramatically ‘the escalation of Bolsonarist attacks on Magalhaes’ must be seen as a “multiple terrorist actions, ” which threatens a woman and an independent journalist but also the entire democratic society.
The center-right senator Simone Tebet expressed her solidarity and indignation and assured her that the “cowardly behavior” of President Bolsonaro gave the green light to this type of absurdity.
Bolsonarists have complained for years about the unbalanced reporting of mostly left-leaning journalists in Brazil.