00:00Brazil is heading into a crucial presidential runoff that could determine the country's
00:06direction.
00:07To discover more about new information happening in the South American nation, we joined our
00:14special envoy in Rio de Janeiro, Belen de los Santos, to talk more about this presidential
00:20runoff and also the message that sends the Meta company.
00:25Hello, Belen. How are you? What can you tell us?
00:30Hello, Ani. Exactly. We are here in downtown Rio de Janeiro following everything that is
00:35happening minute to minute. You know that we are in the final stretch, so the last couple
00:41of days before the runoff of October 25th. And everyone and every topic is really monitored
00:47to the last point because it is a very, very close race. The polls are giving closer and
00:54closer numbers. So from the lead that Bolsonaro had before, Lula has been closing that gap.
01:01So every topic counts and can tip the scale. And you were completely right. There's an update
01:07on the Meta case. Let's recall for our audience that we are talking about the campaign of Lula
01:14Lula was stating that there were different mechanisms from before the first
01:14government of Lula of Silva presented a formal complaint before the electoral authorities and
01:19then they said they would take it even into the international community because of what they
01:25understand as interference on behalf of the Meta company. We are talking about the technological
01:30corporation based in the United States that controls WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram. The campaign from Lula was stating that there were
01:41different mechanisms from before the
01:44first round and after the first round that were conditioning and hindering the distribution of material, particularly of the campaign
01:54of Lula, but not of the campaign for Flavio Bolsonaro, so that they were affecting and influencing on the decision.
02:02So it was a back and forth. The electoral authorities here in Brazil asked the company Meta to provide as
02:10many guarantees as possible that they would be fair to both sides.
02:16And the company first said that nothing was happening. Then they said that there were technical difficulties, but it was
02:23a worldwide problem and not something directed at the elections of Brazil.
02:27So then they said there were actually leaked messages pointing to employees acknowledging that this was affecting the campaign of
02:36Lula of Silva in particular.
02:38And today, two things happened. First of all, the company answered another requirement of the electoral authorities and said that
02:48they were doing everything and they could guarantee a fair treatment for both candidates in this campaign.
02:54But on the same day, there was a message. And this is just from the last minute, Anna, a message
03:00from the Meta Oversight Board.
03:04This is an independent entity that is funded by the company that's funded by Meta,
03:09but it's funded to be independent so that they can have an oversight, a way of controlling how the company
03:17affects and works, particularly knowing that this has a direct effect on so many things in the world.
03:24Now we're talking about an election in Brazil, but this happens to a lot of sensitive topics.
03:29So this board that is in charge of overseeing the functions of the company, they have just released a report
03:37that says that they're they're worried about recurrent failures.
03:43So repeated failures in terms of the fair distribution of material that has affected a part of the campaign.
03:50So yet again, one more piece of evidence that says that what the campaign of Lula was saying has a
03:58basis of evidence and grounds to carry out this denunciation that the great technological companies from the United States are
04:07having an influence in the election and that this has to be a key point for Brazil,
04:13but also for the international community so that there is no possibility for a great transnational company to influence in
04:20an election.
04:21So that is what we're seeing. And it's a very hard topic. We are seeing a lot of discussion in
04:25this in social networks.
04:27So once again, we'll be following closely what happens next.
04:31Thank you very much, Belen, for the information. And of course, you'll keep us informed because you're the best in
04:37that.
04:38Thank you very much.
04:41We'll be here.
