The website Comunique-se questions the Judiciary's censorship of DCM.

247 - O Communicate websiteThe newspaper, which reports on events in the world of communication, published an editorial criticizing the censorship imposed by the Judiciary against DCM (Diário do Centro do Mundo), which, by a preliminary injunction from the 6th Civil Court of the Federal District, is prohibited from using the word "helicoca" to refer to the helicopter belonging to the family of Senator Zezé Perrella, seized with 445 kilos of cocaine base. The injunction was in response to a request from the senator himself (read more).

This Tuesday, the 29th, DCM reminded Abraji (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism) has not commented on the case and highlighted that the organization has five employees from Globo Organizations on its board of directors.

Below is the editorial from Comunica-que:

Editorial: helicoca, helicoca, helicoca

Editorial - Comunique-se Group

Censoring the press. That's what Judge Gabriela Jardon Guimarães de Faria, of the 6th Civil Court of Brasília, did when she ruled that the expression "helicoca" can no longer be used by the newspaper Diário Centro do Mundo. The publication coined the term when reporting on the case of Gustavo Perrella, son of Senator Zezé Perrella (PMDB-MG), who had a helicopter carrying half a ton of cocaine base seized in 2013. In her decision, the judge also ordered Google to remove "all news items that associate the applicant's name with the words 'helicoca, helicopter, or cocaine' and to remove YouTube videos on the subject." This dates back to the 1960s when newsrooms received lists of censored names and words. It was a time of dictatorship in Brazil. Or rather, it still is – at least in the view of the Perrella family and the judge.

Gabriela Jardon states in her decision that the prohibition of the use of the term "helicoca" in news reports about the case is "perfectly enforceable." According to her, the press should "continue" to exercise its journalistic duty in reporting the episode, but with "contempt" for the expression and, moreover, without creating words as a substitute. Perhaps what the magistrate doesn't know is that "exercising journalistic duty" involves the so-called right to freedom of expression, enshrined in the 1988 Federal Constitution. Perhaps it's unnecessary, but it's good to reinforce: the right to freedom of expression means that any individual can express themselves freely without fear of retaliation or censorship from the government or another member of society. To the Comunique-se Portal, it seems that this basic principle was not respected.

Regarding the situation during the dictatorship, the only difference now is that censorship doesn't go unnoticed; it doesn't stay confined to newsroom corridors or isolated conversations. The outcry was significant, and those with at least a modicum of common sense responded: yes, there will be "helicoca" (a play on words combining "helicopter" and "cocacopter"). On social media, the term even became one of the most discussed topics over the weekend. Variations – inevitable – were created: "helicopter" and "cocacopter," to name just a few of the most cited. Questions also arose: what led Judge Gabriela Jardon to revert to the 1960s with a prohibition that overrides a right won with so much effort?

The Comunique-se Portal team is astonished to find that the country will not take even larger steps back to the past. The Perrella family is involved in a story about 445 kilos of cocaine base in a helicopter. This story is pure "helicoca" (a play on words combining "helicopter" and "cocaine"). Francisco Ramos and Caroline Narcon Pires de Moraes, lawyers for DCM, filed an appeal with Judge Gabriela Jardon, asking her to reconsider her decision. And may it be reconsidered, because it makes no sense to prohibit a media outlet from using a certain term – especially when the word in question is related to a parliamentarian who says he does nothing wrong, "only traffics drugs." It is worth reminding the Justice system that drug trafficking is prohibited in the country, as is censorship.