'What sparks this hostility?': Brazilian mayoral debate escalates into unpleasantness as contender assaults opponent using chair, live on broadcast.
Live footage from the debate, aired live on TV Cultura on Sunday, captures a heated encounter between José Luiz Datena and Pablo Marçal. The confrontation intensifies, leading Datena to throw his chair towards Marçal.
In a subsequent interview with TV Cultura, Datena confessed to assaulting Marçal, who was hospitalized as a result of his injuries. The reason for the attack, according to Datena, was Marçal bringing up old allegations of sexual harassment against him, which had been dismissed several years prior due to lack of substantial evidence.
The allegations dated back to 11 years ago and had caused significant turmoil within Datena's family, he explained.
Despite his expulsion from the debate, Datena released a statement on Monday, expressing regret for his actions but not for the reasons behind them.
Marçal was treated at Sírio Libanês Hospital and eventually discharged. His team reported possible injuries to his chest area and difficulty breathing. However, while there was trauma to his chest and wrist, there were no major complications.
Marçal drew parallels between the incident and previous attacks, such as the July assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and the stabbing of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during the 2018 election, publishing an Instagram post featuring all three incidents with the question "Why all this hate?"
The remaining candidates, Guilherme Boulos, Marina Helena, Ricardo Nunes, and Tabata Amaral, carried on with the debate following the attack. TV Cultura expressed regret for the incident and proceeded with the discussion in line with the established rules, provided that the other contestants agreed.
Marçal's team has announced plans to take legal action.
According to Marçal's team, Datena cowardly attacked him, striking him in the ribs with an iron chair. They also lamented that the debate continued in his absence.
CNN reached out to the São Paulo police as well as the teams of both Datena and Marçal for comment.
CNN's Michael Rios contributed to this report.
The world was shocked by the events that unfolded during the debate in the Americas. Marcénal's allegations about the incident brought up similarities to past attacks on political figures, such as the July assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and the stabbing of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
