The São Paulo Public Electoral Ministry (MPE) formalized a complaint against businessman and digital influencer Pablo Marçal for insult and defamation. Marçal was a candidate for Mayor of São Paulo in 2024, with a campaign marked by accusations and a stance of direct confrontation against some of the other candidates. 
The MPE’s complaint is related to live broadcasts and publications made by Marçal on his profile on the social network Instagramwhen he “made expressions and accusations offensive to the honor and reputation” of fellow candidate José Luiz Datena. At the time, he called him a “woman attacker”, “sexual harasser” and “sugar eater”, in addition to stating that the journalist “bought a girl’s silence” in an alleged case of sexual harassment.
The complaint considers that the statements had electoral purposes. According to prosecutor Cleber Masson, the offenses, which occurred in September 2024, “constitute crimes of insult and defamation with grounds for increased punishment as they were committed for the purpose of electoral propaganda and through social media. The complaint requires, in addition to the conviction, the establishment of a minimum amount to repair the moral damage caused to the victim.”
When contacted through his consultancy, Marçal did not comment until the conclusion of this report.
