Globo cancels presidential debate at the last minute, and telenovela 'Quem Ama Cuida' gets two hours on air
Court rulings issued minutes before the broadcast and candidate withdrawals led the network to call off the event and extend its 9 p.m. telenovela.
Foto: Reprodução/DOLTV Globo on Thursday night (Oct. 1) canceled the debate between presidential candidates that was set to air after its telenovela. The network said 'successive court decisions made moments before the debate' created legal uncertainty and described the orders as undue interference in its editorial freedom.
A ruling by Justice Estela Aranha of the Superior Electoral Court barred an empty podium bearing absent candidates' names and questions directed at them; another, by Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, ordered the inclusion of Renan Santos (Missão). Lula (PT) was not going to attend and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) had pulled out; Caiado, Zema and Cury were already at Globo's studios when the cancellation came.
In place of the debate, Globo aired 'Quem Ama Cuida', by Walcyr Carrasco, in an extended episode of about two hours — making the 9 p.m. telenovela the night's unexpected star.
