Herzog's hunter past sends shivers down Zé Marin's spine.

247 – In response to reports linking the death of journalist Vladimir Herzog, which occurred during the military regime (1975), to the president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), José Maria Marin, a note published on the entity's website The text launches harsh attacks on the press. Without mentioning Herzog's name, it accuses the media of carrying out an "orchestrated action" against the football executive, based on "lies and distortion of past events."

Since Marin's selection to preside over the organization, news reports have recalled a speech he made on October 9, 1975, when he held the position of state deputy for São Paulo, representing the Arena party, which supported the military dictatorship. In his speech, Marina asked the governor and the Secretary of Culture at the time to verify the "negative" programming against the government broadcast by TV Cultura, a station that was run by Herzog.

In recent interview with EBCJournalist Rose Nogueira specifically links this speech to the journalist's death 16 days later. "I remember those speeches perfectly, how terrified we were in the newsroom every time this man gave a speech," Rose stated. An online petition created on the Avaaz NGO website The son of journalist Ivo Herzog is calling for Marin's removal from the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) in order to prevent "a person linked to the dictatorship from being Brazil's ambassador at the most important event in its history."

Read below the full text of the CBF statement:

Unmasking a falsehood

Using as a pretext the interjection given by then-Deputy José Maria Marin to a speech delivered by then-Deputy Wadih Helu in the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo on October 9, 1975, that is, 38 years ago, a vile campaign is being waged in the press, aimed at trying to destabilize the performance of Mr. José Maria Marin as President of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).

The falsity of the alleged pretext becomes clear when one learns that Mr. José Maria Marin, after April 1975, dedicated himself to important activities, such as serving as Vice-Governor and Governor of the State of São Paulo, President of the São Paulo Football Federation, and for many years, Vice-President of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), without bothering the sectors of the press that, in a visibly orchestrated action, are now prepared to target him, in service of unconfessable but well-known interests.

It seems obvious that the intention is to embarrass Mr. José Maria Marin, disrupting the activities of Brazilian football at a time of notorious importance and delicacy, when the 2014 World Cup is approaching in Brazil.

When faced with a smear campaign based on lies and distortion of past facts, such as the one aimed at Mr. José Maria Marin, one cannot help but recall another paradigmatic campaign that led to the ruin of the Escola Base in São Paulo and its directors, also a result of the bad faith and irresponsibility of pseudo-journalists who, there as now, with characteristic criminal intent, engaged in the demoralization of good people to satisfy evil instincts, entertaining themselves by throwing, at those who look down on them, the mud in which these delinquents wallow.

It seems difficult to believe that, in the current stage of maturity of public media in the country, these elements of low ethical and moral standing, willing to squander freedom of the press—an essential value for democracy—using it to attack the honor of others in a fit of wounded envy, can still find refuge within them.

Anyone with even a modicum of good faith who takes the time to read Mr. José Maria Marin's statement in the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo will easily conclude that the accusations now being made against him by these pseudo-journalists are absolutely false, have no basis in fact, and are useless for fueling this petty and relentless persecution.

This is clearly an orchestrated campaign based on lies, unscrupulously fabricated, with a fascist flavor, reminiscent of Goebbels' tactics. Repeat the lie as many times as possible and it will become truth in the minds of the unwary.

In short, Representative Helu took to the podium to report on the content of a complaint filed by a certain journalist regarding TV Cultura.

Mr. José Maria Marin, beginning his interjection with the categorical statement that he would not be addressing the merits of the complaint (his first words), declared that it deserved investigation, urging the authorities to clarify what was actually happening at the aforementioned station. Nothing more.

Only sick and perverse minds, or those clouded by passion, could see in this simple recommendation any accusation in this or that sense. Or, worse, maintain that any other consequence could have arisen from this parliamentary statement, other than the investigation of the merits of the complaint, as suggested.

With the peace of mind of someone with a clear conscience, President José Maria Marin will not be intimidated by such spurious campaigns, destined to suffer the fate of useless and rotten things, and will not deviate from the straight path that has guided his life.

The full text of the aforementioned speeches follows, beginning with the one delivered by Deputy Wadih Helu, followed by the interjection of President MARIN:

"SPEECH BY THEN DEPUTY WADIH HELU

MR. WADIH HELU – Mr. President and honorable Members of Parliament, last Saturday we had the pleasure of participating, along with state and federal deputies and state secretaries, in the festivities in Capão Bonito, where, with the presence of the Governor of the State, Dr. Paulo Egydio Martins, SABESP inaugurated the water and sewage service in that progressive city in southern São Paulo.

It was truly a celebration, attended by over 40 mayors from surrounding cities, demonstrating, above all, the fruitful work of the ARENA government, which addresses the needs of resource-poor municipalities, providing them with the conditions for the installation of water and sewage services and infrastructure services. It was all a celebration. However, we noted the absence of the state's media outlet, TV Cultura – Channel 2.

This absence did not surprise us because we have been reading every six months in Cláudio Marques' "Coluna Um" (Column One) reports of infiltration by leftist elements into Channel 2, with the complicity of the Secretary of Culture, Dr. José Mindlin, and the Government itself.

From this platform we wish to express our protest, because we lack the conditions to fight for a democratic country, for a democratic regime, when the governmental institution itself undermines this democracy, not only with its deliberate absence, but much more than that, with its communist-leaning presence on television, daily, with its presence that praises and seeks to demonstrate the grandeur of leftist leaders from other countries, who are bringing misfortune to other peoples, trying to instill in the spirit of the Brazilian people that this country is only misery, that this country is only poverty, since on TV Cultura – Channel 2, we only see news programs showing misery, showing poverty, showing disgrace. In a country like ours, which is in full development, a country like ours that constitutes a true oasis in today's world, it is these elements, paid by the government, on a television station owned by the São Paulo state government, who preach the disintegration of our people, of our city, omitting to communicate to the people of São Paulo the achievements of our government, as happened in Capão Bonito, as happened ten days ago in São Paulo, with the inauguration of the Metro, a project of the ARENA government, through five mayors, five men who were responsible for the destiny of our city. Channel 2 omits everything, proselytizing communism and subservience, becoming, as columnist Cláudio Marques says, "the Vietnam Culture Television of São Paulo, paid with the people's money, disserving our government and our homeland."

"Aside from then-Deputy José Maria Marin, now President of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation)."

Mr. José Maria Marin (With the speaker's assent) – Honorable Deputy Wadih Helu, the matter raised by Your Excellency from this podium truly deserves special attention, not only from this House, but especially from the Secretary of Culture of the State and the Governor of the State. Without going into the merits of the issue, it strikes me as odd that the press organs of our State have been raising this problem for a long time, requesting action from the competent authorities, regarding what is happening with Channel 2, and we have not heard, at least, a single word of clarification. It is no longer a matter of publicizing what is good and not publicizing what is bad, but rather the unease that has already taken hold of São Paulo, a matter that is not only discussed from this podium, not only in political circles, but in almost every home in São Paulo. In this aside, honorable Deputy Wadih Helu, I want to draw the attention of the Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo and the Governor of the State to the need to publicly clarify these allegations being raised by the São Paulo press and, in a particularly courageous way, by journalist Cláudio Marques. If most of these allegations are being raised by various São Paulo newspapers, a simple examination of this issue is enough to verify that it is not only the journalist mentioned in this forum who is reporting negative facts, as nothing positive is seen; only misery is presented, problems are presented, but no solutions are offered. Under these conditions, we congratulate Your Excellency for the opportunity to raise this issue, and I want to make an appeal to the Governor of the State in this brief aside: either the journalist is wrong or the journalist is right. What cannot continue is this omission, both on the part of the Secretary of Culture and the Governor. More than ever, action is needed to restore tranquility not only to this House, but especially to the homes of São Paulo residents.