Opponents of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday denounced
pro-government
"
propaganda
" during the broadcast the day before a Brazilian football match on a public channel.
During the first half of the Seleção's 4-2 victory over Peru in Lima, TV Brasil commentator, speaking on behalf of the channel's management, addressed a "
special hug
" to head of state.
At half-time, viewers saw a news flash highlighting government actions, including a speech by the highly controversial Environment Minister Ricardo Salles on the fight against forest fires in the Pantanal.
Read also: Jair Bolsonaro as "father of the poor": transient change or real transformation?
“
The Seleçao match is broadcast on a public channel.
The commentator gives the president a hug.
At half-time, news from the government.
No, you are not in North Korea, but in Brazil,
”reacted on Twitter Kim Kataguiri, deputy of the right-wing DEM party.
In his column on the UOL news site, sports journalist Rodrigo Mattos claimed that the broadcast of the Peru-Brazil match had been "
an instrument of propaganda by the Bolsonaro government
".
The programming of this South American qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup on TV Brasil was only announced an hour before kick-off.
Initially, it was to be broadcast only on a paid online platform.
TV Globo, the largest private channel in the country, used to broadcasting all the matches of the national team, had given up acquiring the broadcasting rights demanded by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), considered exorbitant.
According to Brazilian media, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) then interceded with the FPF for the rights to be transferred free of charge to TV Brasil, so that the match could be seen by a greater number of people.
Some media specialists consider this a government maneuver to scratch TV Globo, which is very critical of the Bolsonaro government.