By Isabela Fraga
The judge that ordered the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo to remove a blog post about a mayoral candidate in the Brazilian city Macapá, Amapá rescinded the decision to censor the post on Wednesday evening, Sept. 25, reported the blog's author, João Bosco Rabello.
According to Rabello, the order was revoked at the request of the Public Ministry of Amapá, arguing "it is lawful and democratic that the press (and who else would do it?) show the voter [...] who the candidates running for office are [...] If they're not prepared to be a politician in times of free speech then they should change their job."
In the run up to municipal elections in Brazil, set for Oct. 7, attempts to censor journalists and bloggers are on the rise, along with blocking the publication of voter polls and attacks on the press.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
