By Isabela Fraga
Residents of Itaboraí, Rio de Janeiro went without the newspaper O Dia on Sept. 4 and 5, after copies of the publication bearing accusations against mayoral candidate Altineu Côrtes disappeared from newsstands, reported the website Brasil 247.
According to O Dia, newspaper sellers reported that self-identified supporters of Côrtes bought every copy of the publication. The newspaper went on to report that the Sept. 4 and 5 editions of O Dia included accusations of alleged vote buying by the candidate, a crime that could disqualify Côrtes from the election.
In a video released by Brasil 247, a newspaper seller said "Altineu's staff is buying everything," referencing the sold-out editions of O Dia. The candidate's press secretary released a statement denying any involvement in the situation, reported O Dia.
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.
