The light at the end of the tunnel for Washington Reis — still ineligible — for 2026

A ruling signed by the dean of the Federal Supreme Court, Gilmar Mendes, rekindled the hope of the state secretary of Transport and president of the MDB in Rio de Janeiro, Washington Reis , in an attempt to reverse the ineligibility that prevented him from being a candidate in 2022 and bars his movements for 2026.

Reis is seeking to overturn a 7-year prison sentence for environmental crime and irregular subdivision when he was mayor of Duque de Caxias. One of the arguments is that there were changes in the rules of the National Environmental Council that supported the conviction and, therefore, the crime would no longer be considered. This thesis is known as abolitio criminis .

The score at the STF, however, is not favorable : the rapporteur, Flávio Dino, voted to maintain the sentence, in a statement accompanied by Alexandre de Moraes and Cristiano Zanin. There is only one vote in favor of Reis, which came from Minister André Mendonça.

The trial was interrupted by a request for review by Gilmar in March. In the ruling of this Monday 23, the dean has not yet cast his vote, but issues an opinion on a possible non-prosecution agreement that would benefit the Secretary .

This is a legal instrument applied in cases of non-violent crimes with a minimum sentence of less than four years. In these cases, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office understands that an agreement, generally involving some type of financial compensation, would be sufficient to repress the irregularities identified during the investigation.

In other words : in practice, the conviction against Reis, which resulted in the loss of his political rights, could be converted into “reparation for environmental damage,” as written by the minister, who endorsed the thesis that the process is “permeated by strong controversies.” Dino has not yet commented on the suggestion.

Reis is an ally of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and tried to establish himself as a candidate to succeed Cláudio Castro (PL), but the legal situation made his articulation lose strength. He has criticized the endeavor of Rodrigo Bacellar (União), president of the Legislative Assembly and preferred among Bolsonarists to succeed the governor .