Dias Toffoli orders Ceará broadcasters to air compensatory election ads

Supreme Court Minister Dias Toffoli has ordered radio and television stations in Ceará to broadcast compensatory electoral propaganda for the “Ceará Forte, do Lado Certo” coalition. The order requires the stations to air the missing time by Saturday, October 3, to make up for segments not previously displayed for the campaign of Elmano de Freitas (PT).

The dispute arose after Toffoli overturned previous decisions by the Ceará Regional Electoral Court (TRE-CE) that had granted rights of reply to Ciro Gomes (PSDB). To compensate for the lost time, Toffoli had previously ordered an additional 30 seconds per insertion for Elmano’s campaign. However, broadcasters failed to implement the increase, citing technical difficulties and unclear parameters from the electoral court.

Toffoli rejected the broadcasters' arguments, stating the order was uniform and direct. Stations that fail to comply with this new mandate face a fine of R$ 100,000 each. The campaign for Ciro Gomes has contested the decision, labeling it a “judicial coup attempt” and arguing that the late compensation creates an imbalance in the election by granting the opponent additional airtime immediately before the vote.