Former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello was arrested on Friday (25) in Maceió, Alagoas, to begin serving an eight-year and ten-month prison sentence for corruption and money laundering. The arrest follows a decision by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) that rejected his latest appeals, deeming them dilatory. Minister Alexandre de Moraes issued the arrest warrant after Collor attempted to present himself at the airport en route to Brasília.
Collor, who was Brazil’s first democratically elected president from 1990 to 1992, was convicted in 2023 for accepting bribes totaling 20 million reais (about US$ 3.5 million) between 2010 and 2014. The bribes were allegedly paid by the construction company UTC Engenharia in exchange for facilitating contracts with BR Distribuidora, a subsidiary of the state-owned oil company Petrobras. The case stemmed from the extensive Lava Jato investigation, which uncovered widespread corruption involving public officials and business leaders across Latin America.
After resigning amid an impeachment process in 1992, Collor returned to politics and served as a senator from 2007 to 2023. Despite his reduced political influence, the arrest highlights Brazil’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption at the highest levels of government. The STF is expected to review the arrest in a plenary session in the coming days.
Collor has not publicly commented on the arrest. His legal team maintains that the accusations are based solely on testimonies without concrete evidence and continues to challenge the conviction.
Sources: The Rio Times and AP News