A heated mayoral debate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, took a dramatic turn on Sunday night when candidate José Luiz Datena attacked his rival, Pablo Marcal, with a metal chair.
Fox News reported that the altercation left Marcal injured and resulted in his hospitalization. Marcal later labeled the incident an "attempted homicide." The violent encounter unfolded during a televised debate, escalating after intense exchanges between the two candidates.
Marcal, a personal development influencer-turned-politician, accused Datena of wanting to slap him and questioned his masculinity.
The confrontation escalated when Datena struck Marcal with a metal chair, prompting chaos on stage.
The debate, broadcast by TV Cultura, began with Marcal raising allegations against Datena, claiming that the rival candidate harbored violent intentions. Marcal provocatively stated, "You’re not even man enough to do this," referring to the possibility of Datena attacking him. The exchange escalated as Datena approached Marcal, grabbed a nearby metal chair, and struck him.
As Marcal raised his arms to defend himself, the debate moderator quickly intervened, cutting the live broadcast to commercials. Marcal was soon rushed to the hospital by ambulance, where he received treatment for his injuries.
At the hospital, Marcal was diagnosed with trauma to his right chest and wrist, though no major complications were reported. Hospital officials noted that Marcal sustained a fracture at the base of his rib cage and experienced difficulty breathing. He was discharged after receiving respiratory support and care.
Following the attack, Marcal took to social media, describing the incident as an "attempted homicide." He compared the violent outburst to assassination attempts on political figures like former Presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. Marcal’s campaign criticized the decision to continue the debate without him present, calling for legal action against Datena.
Datena, a well-known television presenter and longtime political figure, admitted to striking Marcal during the debate. While acknowledging his error, Datena expressed no regret over his actions. He claimed that his outburst was a justified response to what he called ongoing provocations and aggression from Marcal.
"If the circumstances were the same, I would not refrain from repeating the gesture," Datena stated. He went on to explain that the intense conflict with Marcal had deeply affected him and his family, adding that the incident caused his mother-in-law to suffer multiple strokes, eventually leading to her death.
In the aftermath of the altercation, authorities logged the incident with Sao Paulo’s public security agency. The case is being investigated under the category of "bodily injury and insult," though no formal charges have been filed against Datena at this time.
Meanwhile, Marcal's supporters have called for legal consequences for Datena, insisting that the attack was part of a pattern of violence and intimidation in Brazilian politics. The investigation remains ongoing, and public outcry over the violent confrontation continues to mount.
The televised debate, which was meant to give voters a closer look at the candidates’ policies, instead turned into a spectacle of violence. The altercation has overshadowed much of the political discussion surrounding the Sao Paulo mayoral race.
While Datena remains defiant, Marcal has leveraged the incident to galvanize his supporters, casting himself as the victim of a politically motivated attack. The broader implications of the altercation are yet to be fully understood, but the event has certainly altered the tone of the campaign moving forward.
