The Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro (TRE-RJ) denied on Tuesday the candidacy of Diego Alba, from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), for the position of State Deputy. The decision was based on intelligence reports produced by a specialized unit of the electoral court itself, which identified ties between the candidate and criminal organizations.
According to these reports, Diego Alba would have received authorization from the high leadership of Comando Vermelho (CV) to enter and campaign in territories dominated by the criminal faction. TRE-RJ has adopted a new offensive to identify, before the elections, possible connections between candidates and criminal organizations.
The municipal directory of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) stated that it will appeal the judicial decision. In a statement, the party considered it "worrying" to associate campaigning in communities with eventual support from a criminal faction. The media outlet was unable to reach the candidate Diego Alba directly before publication.
