Court decisions prevent Lula and Renan Santos from participating in the Globo debate

The first is signed by minister Estela Aranha, of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and responds to a request from the coalition of Lula's candidacy, from the PT, for the Presidency of the Republic.

The minutes with the rules, signed by all parties, including the PT, determine that in the event of the candidate's absence, the pulpit reserved for him will be kept empty on the stage with a sign that identifies him. And that in one of the free topic rounds, the candidates present who wish to formulate in thirty seconds the question they would ask the candidate who did not attend.

Minister Estela Aranha's decision prohibits the pulpit with Lula's name and the formulation of questions that would be asked of him.

The second subpoena received by Globo this evening is for a decision made by Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the Federal Supreme Court, and responds to a request made by the Solidariedade party regarding the participation in the debate by Renan Santos, from Missão.

The rules that establish which candidates must be invited to debates on radio and TV are determined by law and regulated by decree of the Superior Electoral Court.

Another decision, last Tuesday (29), by the president of the TSE, Kassio Nunes Marques, changed the TSE's own understanding of the count of parliamentarians in Congress for debate purposes and decided that Romeu Zema, from Novo, would have the right to participate.

The decision of Minister Gilmar Mendes, from the Supreme Court, handed down a short time ago, determined the participation of the candidate Renan Santos, even though Missão, Renan's party, has only one parliamentarian in the National Congress.

Globo has a long tradition in organizing electoral debates. Our purpose is to promote the discussion of ideas for Brazil. Offer voters the opportunity to compare projects. Our duty is to promote democracy.

But the successive judicial decisions taken moments before the debate takes place cause legal uncertainty and represent an undue interference in the freedom that press vehicles have to organize electoral debates.

Globo thanks the other candidates and makes these clarifications out of respect for voters and the public who expected to have the opportunity to hear proposals for the country's future.