Governor of Goiás was convicted in the first instance of abuse of economic power in the municipal elections by TRE-GO this Wednesday (11) and will appeal the decision
The governor of , , of União Brasil, was convicted in the first instance by the Electoral Court for abuse of economic power during the municipal elections. In response to the decision, during a press conference at the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-GO), Caiado expressed his intention to appeal and reaffirmed his candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic in 2026. “In March I will launch my candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic and after carnival I will be placing myself for União Brasil. I have traveled around Brazil debating various topics.” He also took the opportunity to criticize his opponents, including President Lula and the mayor of Goiânia, Rogério Cruz.
“In relation to the fact that is being raised, you know very well that what is happening in Goiânia has already been happening for six months. So much so that there is an intervention in health. Therefore, I brought together elected councilors and substitutes to deal with an extremely delicate matter, because the discussion already existed in the face of the collapse of the machine. It was not a meeting for electoral purposes, but to address a concern I have with the situation in Goiânia”, said the governor.
Regarding Lula and Dilma Rousseff, he declared: “It is not up to me to discuss judicial decisions. This will be done in the correct environment, but many friends sent me a case about President Dilma Rousseff, who met at Palácio da Alvorada (…) In 2022, I supported Bolsonaro in the second round and went to Palácio da Alvorada with 80 other mayors. In 2024, Lula asked for votes for Boulos inside the Palácio da Alvorada. We can’t have double standards, I live here. We cannot have two treatments.”
The judge Maria Umbelina Zorzetti was responsible for the conviction, which highlighted that Caiado used the government headquarters to promote campaign dinners in support of mayor Sandro Mabel, who has already been impeached for benefiting from these activities. Caiado and Mabel’s defense refutes the accusations, claiming that the meetings were mere institutional meetings, unrelated to the electoral campaign. Caiado and Mabel’s lawyers have the possibility of appealing the decision to the Regional Electoral Court () and, if necessary, to the Superior Electoral Court (). The governor’s defense considers the sentence unfair and disproportionate, maintaining that there was no type of electoral offense in the actions carried out.
Caiado’s defense
We received with surprise the decision made by the 1st Electoral Zone of Goiânia, considering it incorrect in the analysis of the facts and disproportionate in the application of the penalty of ineligibility.
The event identified in the action, which took place at the Governor’s official residence, had the purpose of honoring the councilors elected in Goiânia and starting an institutional relationship between the State Executive and the Municipal Legislature. There was no electoral nature at the time: no votes were asked for, no elections were mentioned and there were no campaign props. All of this is proven in the records.
Electoral activities related to the 2024 municipal election were carried out outside the Palácio das Esmeraldas, on the streets or at the headquarters of the candidates’ political party, respecting electoral legislation.
The defense, therefore, reaffirms that there was no electoral offense, which, if it had occurred, would, at most, result in the imposition of a fine.
Therefore, the appropriate appeal will be filed against the sentence and we trust that the facts will be duly clarified by the Regional Electoral Court of the State of Goiás, reversing the application of the completely unreasonable sentence.
*Report produced with the help of AI
Published by Fernando Dias
