Brazilian presidential candidate Pablo Marçal will not take part in the Band television debate, according to BBC. The decision follows a ruling that keeps him ineligible under the country’s clean record law, known as Lei da Ficha Limpa.
The president of the Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo (TRE-SP) rejected Marçal’s appeal, upholding his ineligibility, as reported by UOL Notícias. That means the influencer and businessman cannot run in the election, and broadcasters are excluding him from candidate events.
Marçal’s legal troubles are not new. JOTA Info reports that he is expected to be barred from the race under the clean record law, which prevents candidates with certain criminal convictions or legal setbacks from standing for office. Estado de Minas also lists him among a group of “ineligible” political figures, alongside names like José Roberto Arruda, Eduardo Cunha and Anthony Garotinho, who face similar hurdles in their bids.
There is also a separate dispute over his party affiliation. Metrópoles says that congresswoman Tabata Amaral has asked Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to investigate Marçal’s membership in the PRTB party. The request suggests questions over the validity of his registration, adding another layer to his already complicated candidacy.
For now, the Band debate will proceed without Marçal, and his campaign faces an uphill battle to reverse the court’s decision. The key question is whether higher courts will intervene before the election, or whether his exclusion stands as a precedent for other candidates with similar legal records.
