Brazil’s federal police have formally accused Anderson Torres, the former justice minister under ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, of attempting to obstruct voters in an opposition stronghold from accessing polling stations during the 2022 presidential election, according to two sources reported by Reuters on Friday.
Torres is charged with political violence alongside Silvinei Vasques, the former head of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police, and four other individuals, as confirmed by one of the sources. The local news outlet g1 initially reported these political violence charges earlier in the day.
The 2022 election saw President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeat Bolsonaro in a tight runoff. On election day, there were widespread allegations that the Federal Highway Police illegally blocked roads in Brazil’s impoverished northeast, a region traditionally supportive of Lula. These actions raised concerns about potential voter suppression that could have favored Bolsonaro.
These charges are part of ongoing efforts to address alleged attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, both before and after the 2022 election. After the election, both Torres and Vasques were jailed for their alleged involvement in an attack on Brazil’s Supreme Court, Congress, and presidential palace by a right-wing group protesting the election results. Bolsonaro himself was banned from holding public office until 2030 for spreading false information about the election.
Torres’ legal team has declined to comment until they have access to the police decision. Vasques’ legal defense expressed no concern about the accusations, asserting that his actions do not align with the laws police accuse him of violating.