Candidates with alleged ties to organized crime are blocked in elections
More than 20 candidates were blocked due to ties to organized crime; parties invested R$ 21 million in candidacies for these elections.
TL;DR
- At least 23 candidates nationwide have had their registrations denied or challenged due to suspected links to organized crime (factions or militias).
- Political parties from various spectrums have allocated around R$ 21.6 million in public funds (Fundo Partidário and FEFC) to these suspicious candidacies.
- The Rio de Janeiro Regional Electoral Court (TRE-RJ) introduced the 'suit-and-tie militia' concept, referring to structured arrangements within public administration involving public agents, political operators, and businesspeople who defraud bids and divert funds.
- This new legal interpretation led to the rejection of 15 candidacies in Rio de Janeiro, including notable political figures.
- The TRE-RJ also implemented exceptional measures by transferring 72 voting locations in 20 municipalities to mitigate the influence of militias and criminal factions on voters.
- Similar phenomena of organized crime infiltration in elections are being investigated in at least five other states, involving groups like PCC and Comando Vermelho.
- The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) is working to standardize criteria for blocking candidacies linked to organized crime while respecting constitutional guarantees.