Brazil’s highway police carry out massive voter suppression in Northeast region

The president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Minister Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the Federal Highway Police (PRF) to urgently explain the operations that have prevented the circulation of voters in different parts of Brazil’s Northeast this Sunday during the second round of voting in the elections.

The TSE's response comes in response to a request made by federal deputy Paulo Teixeira of the Workers’ Party representing São Paulo, who said that the PRF and the Federal Police (PF) are being "instrumentalized" to interfere in the electoral process.

The day before the vote, the general director of the PRF, Silvinei Marques, posted an image on social networks in which he asked people to vote for Jair Bolsonaro (PL). On the same day, a TSE decision had ordered the suspension of operations this Sunday.

In the order, Moraes said that Marques can be held criminally liable for disobedience and electoral crime. The minister pointed out that "these are serious facts that justify the rapid action and adoption of appropriate measures in order to preserve the freedom of the right to vote.

In the request to the Court, the deputy Teixeira specifically cited a complaint of an episode registered in the city of Cuité, Paraiba. According to the complaint, a PRF checkpoint was scaring away the population of the rural area of the city who were on their way to vote.

A PRF está fazendo Blitz na entrada de Cuité, Paraíba. Um absurdo enorme!! Já está afugentando a população da zona rural!! Alguém precisa fazer alguma coisa!! O povo não vem votar! @TSEjusbr pic.twitter.com/JwgrPGaynq — Hígor Lins ✠ (@higorlins3) October 30, 2022

The PRF is doing a blitz at the entrance of Cuité, Paraíba. A huge absurdity! It is already scaring away the rural population! Someone needs to do something! The people don't come to vote!

The mayor of Cuité, Charles Camaraense of the Citizenship party, reiterated the complaint. On social media, he expressed indignation with the operation conducted by the PRF in the city. "If they think that this way they will inhibit the people from voting for Lula, they are mistaken," he said in a post.

Voters and political leaders made similar complaints in other cities. Senator Humberto Costa of the PT in Pernambuco received and shared some of the complaints.

Em Garanhuns, terra natal de Lula, agentes da PRF também estão proibindo as pessoas de votar. pic.twitter.com/Ad0LkNvzFd — Humberto Costa (@senadorhumberto) October 30, 2022

In Garanhuns, Lula's hometown, PRF agents are also prohibiting people from voting.

Senator-elect and former governor of Maranhão Flávio Dino (PSB) said that there were police checkpoints and seizure of vehicles taking place in the rural area of the city of Caxias, Maranhão. The complaint was taken to the Electoral Justice.

Recebi agora denúncia de blitz e apreensão de motos na zona rural de Caxias, efetuada pela Polícia Rodoviária Federal. Estamos fazendo a representação à Justiça Eleitoral para que apure a legalidade da operação policial >> pic.twitter.com/iWWyZHrXqA — Flávio Dino 13 🇧🇷 (@FlavioDino) October 30, 2022

I have now received a report of a blitz and seizure of motorcycles in the rural area of Caxias, carried out by the Federal Highway Police. We are making the representation to the Electoral Justice Department to verify the legality of the police operation.

In some cases, those who raised complaints said that stickers from the campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) were removed from vehicles.

Isso realmente está acontecendo diante dos nossos olhos, essa é a liberdade que o Bolsonaro fala?

Mesária pic.twitter.com/ySmzTMZf37 — #LulaPresidente13 (@BiCarbonattoo) October 30, 2022

This is really happening before our eyes, is this the freedom that Bolsonaro talks about?

There were also complaints in other states, such as Rio Grande do Norte.

Atenção @TSEjusbr @gleisi a PRF está realizando operação na minha cidade, neste momento. Parando os carros que veem da zona rural com eleitores. @felipeneto pic.twitter.com/XK9VdvO5xF — Cinthia Meire (@cinthiameire) October 30, 2022

Attention @TSEjusbr @gleisi the PRF is conducting an operation in my city right now. Stopping cars coming from the rural areas with voters.

The Workers' Party (PT) filed a request for the arrest of the director general of the Federal Highway Police and Regional Superintendents for failing to comply with the decision of the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) that prohibits the police from conducting checkpoints or any operation that would hinder the transit of voters. The director-general of the PRF sent a circular letter, this Sunday October 30, stating that he would not comply with the Court's guidance.

Vasques had written in the document that the PRF "expected" the prohibition of road operations and that the decision would have the "scope to change the distribution of powers" of the institutions.

After the publication of a series of videos denouncing irregular operations by the Highway Police, mostly in cities of the Northeast, the general director of the PRF, Silvinei Vasques, also published a video declaring his vote for Bolsonaro.

"I ask the members of our coalition to go to the sites of the operations in their states and order the arrest of the police officers, including Military Police officers as in Rio de Janeiro," said Gleisi Hoffmann, the president of the PT.