The interference of criminal factions in municipal elections can already be detected at the beginning of the campaign in Brazil, whether in the launch of candidacies linked to death squads, First Capital Command (PCC) and Red Command (CV), or in the charging of tolls to enter territories controlled by organized crime.
This Content Is Only For Subscribers
To unlock this content, subscribe to INTERLIRA Reports.
Name Change
One of them is former PM sergeant Wainer Teixeira Júnior (PRD), who is running for a seat in the City Council of Maricá (RJ) despite having been sentenced, in the first instance, to a sentence of 5 years and 3 months for leading the paramilitary group that operates in the city. He introduces himself as Wainer da Segurança — a reference to his company, which provides “24-hour monitoring, cameras with motion sensors and alarms” services.
In São Paulo
In São Paulo (SP), the PCC is deciding which candidacies it will support. Earlier this month, Colonel Pedro Luís de Souza Lopes, head of the intelligence center of the São Paulo Military Police, stated that the faction’s involvement in the elections is much greater than previously imagined. According to him, the practice is widespread in the state but has not yet reached the capital. The most economically vulnerable cities would be the most targeted.
Operation in August
An operation launched by the Civil Police of São Paulo at the beginning of the month revealed this criminal attempt to interfere in the electoral process. According to police chief Fabricio Intelizano, from Mogi das Cruzes, the PCC was trying to launch its candidates. The investigations revealed the involvement of at least one municipal employee with a high-ranking member of the faction. Two candidates for the city council were targeted in Mogi das Cruzes and Santo André.
In Rio de Janeiro
In Rio de Janeiro, three candidates with ties to drug trafficking factions are running in municipal elections. Among them, Fernanda Costa (MDB), daughter of drug trafficker Fernandinho Beira-Mar, is seeking reelection as a city councilor in Duque de Caxias. In May 2023, Fernanda was sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in prison for participating in a criminal organization, acting in the transmission of orders from her father, and in the laundering of drug trafficking money.
Another candidate linked to drug trafficking is Renan Rocha de Assis, known as Renan Finnellon (PSB), who is running for mayor of Casimiro de Abreu. Renan was convicted of collaborating with a criminal faction, acting as an informant for the city’s drug lord, as revealed in phone calls intercepted by the police.
Campaign Fee
In the Northeast, to have free campaign passes in these locations, candidates must pay up to R$60,000, depending on whether they are running for the first time or reelection. In Pará, the faction charges candidates for city council, regardless of their political party, in the capital Belém and the cities of Ananindeua and Marituba.
Analysis:
The growing interference of criminal organizations in Brazil’s municipal elections highlights a serious democratic crisis. Beyond the recent imposition of campaign fees by these factions, criminal influence in local elections has long been a concern, especially in more localized contests where candidates are closely connected to the communities they represent. This interference undermines the free expression of voting and the fair conduct of electoral campaigns, posing a severe threat to the democratic process.
The impact on society is profound, as the presence of organized crime in politics restricts citizens’ ability to vote freely and undermines the legitimacy of elected officials. This encroachment by criminal elements is not just a challenge to law enforcement but a fundamental disruption of democracy itself. Addressing this issue is crucial to restoring trust in the electoral system and ensuring that political power is not co-opted by illegal forces.
