Such rights refer to the false news campaign promoted by Bolsonarismo (supporters of the ex-military) with petty attacks against the presidential candidate of the Workers’ Party.

Minister María Claudia Bucchianeri, of the TSE, responded on Wednesday to a request from Lula’s defense and authorized the responses for the statements considered offensive or out of context in the advertisements.

But, a day later, the judge accepted an appeal from Bolsonaro’s defense and suspended her own ruling until the plenary session analyzed the case. The former mechanical turner would be entitled to the insertions due to the elective pieces transmitted by the campaign of the former Army captain between October 11 and 17.

According to the action presented by the legal team of the PT leader, the advertisements seek to “inculcate the idea that Lula would be associated with criminality.”

The determination was granted by the TSE in the examination of the requests for the right of reply presented by the law offices of Aragón and Ferraro, and Zanin Martins, which represent the former unionist’s campaign.

The TSE confirmed that, in the first round of the referendum on October 2, the former president was in first place, with 48.43 percent of the valid votes (excluding blank and null votes), and Bolsonaro, who aspires to be re-elected by the Partido Liberal, had a 43.20.

None of the candidates achieved in that lawsuit the absolute majority of votes, that is, more than half of the valid ones (excluding blanks and null votes), as established by the Brazilian code to be elected.

Both politicians will play the second round on the last Sunday of the current month.

ef/mv/ocs