Canal Livre
Encyclopedia
Canal Livre was a popular crime television programme in Brazil
. It was presented by the former police officer and former politician Wallace Souza
and was the most popular show in the city of Manaus
. Souza's popularity as host of Canal Livre saw him get elected on three occasions to political office.
The show remained on air until 2008 and came to worldwide attention in August 2009 when it was revealed that the presenter had been accused of hiring hitmen to carry out the crimes his show was documenting. Souza has been accused of involvement in at least five murders which date from 2007 until February 2009 and which involve the deaths of people who stole cars and dealt drugs. It is thought the murders were commissioned to increase the programme's rating even further and to eliminate all opposition.
Investigators have been disrupted by Souza and some have had their lives threatened. Souza has, however, denied any involvement in the deaths, describing the allegations as "absurd" and saying that he had tried to fight corruption and paedophilia
amongst other crimes. Until October 2009, he was not charged with murder because his position as an elected state official granted him parliamentary immunity. But after being expelled from the assembly, he was presented with multiple charges. Vanessa Lee, the former producer of the program, was arrested in December 2009. Souza hid from the police at first, but later turned himself in. He died of a heart attack in 2010 while awaiting trial.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It was presented by the former police officer and former politician Wallace Souza
Wallace Souza
Wallace Souza was a Brazilian television presenter and politician. He was an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Amazonas until his expulsion in October 2009...
and was the most popular show in the city of Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
. Souza's popularity as host of Canal Livre saw him get elected on three occasions to political office.
The show remained on air until 2008 and came to worldwide attention in August 2009 when it was revealed that the presenter had been accused of hiring hitmen to carry out the crimes his show was documenting. Souza has been accused of involvement in at least five murders which date from 2007 until February 2009 and which involve the deaths of people who stole cars and dealt drugs. It is thought the murders were commissioned to increase the programme's rating even further and to eliminate all opposition.
Format
Canal Livre detailed the murders of various criminal figures, with the camera crews regularly arriving on the crime scene before police. It is this which drew suspicion from detectives who are now investigating the role of the show in these deaths. Souza's role was as a studio presenter preaching about crime and broadcasting what was deemed "exclusive" coverage of crimes.Investigation
One of the crimes reported on in the show involved a reporter walking through a forest to examine a burning corpse, telling viewers: “It smells like a barbecue. It is a man. It has the smell of burning meat. The impression is that it was in the early hours . . . it was an execution.” Suspicion arose from this when questions were raised about how the reporter knew the time of the murder.Investigators have been disrupted by Souza and some have had their lives threatened. Souza has, however, denied any involvement in the deaths, describing the allegations as "absurd" and saying that he had tried to fight corruption and paedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
amongst other crimes. Until October 2009, he was not charged with murder because his position as an elected state official granted him parliamentary immunity. But after being expelled from the assembly, he was presented with multiple charges. Vanessa Lee, the former producer of the program, was arrested in December 2009. Souza hid from the police at first, but later turned himself in. He died of a heart attack in 2010 while awaiting trial.