São Paulo Electoral Court Convicts Pablo Marçal for Defaming Tabata Amaral, Orders R$303,000 Payment

Overview

• Judge Antonio Maria Patiño Zorz of the 1st Electoral Zone concluded Marçal acted with intent to harm Amaral’s reputation to sway the 2024 municipal race.
• The sentence of 4 months and 15 days’ detention was converted to a payment equal to 200 minimum wages (about R$303,000) to Amaral plus 7 days-multa.
• The defamatory remark was made on July 4, 2024, during IstoÉ’s podcast in the pre-campaign period, and a clip drew more than 850,000 views across platforms.
• Prosecutor Cleber Masson filed the case in 2025 for the Ministério Público, citing the statement’s broad reach and its potential to affect voters’ perceptions.
• Marçal’s defense argued he did not impute an offensive fact and said he apologized, while Amaral refuted the narrative and stated she was in Brazil when her father died.