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), which rejected his latest appeals, deeming them dilatory. Minister Alexandre de Moraes issued the arrest warrant after Collor attempted to surrender voluntarily at the airport en route to Brasília.
Collor, who was Brazil’s first democratically elected president after the dictatorship, governed from 1990 to 1992 and was convicted in 2023 for receiving bribes totaling 20 million reais (approximately US$ 3.5 million) between 2010 and 2014. The payments were allegedly made by the construction company UTC Engenharia in exchange for facilitating contracts with BR Distribuidora, a subsidiary of the state-owned Petrobras. The case emerged from the broad investigation of Operation Car Wash, which uncovered a systemic corruption scheme involving public officials and businessmen 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 reinforces Brazil’s ongoing commitment to combating corruption at the highest levels of power. The STF is expected to reassess 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