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A survey in Brazil identified 14 2026 candidates with more than R$ 100 million in environmental fines
According to data compiled by Ascema Nacional and published by g1, that group accounts for most of the total amount of environmental sanctions attributed to candidates for the 2026 general elections. The violations identified are mainly linked to incidents in the Legal Amazon.
A survey by Ascema Nacional released by g1 identified 101 candidates in Brazil’s 2026 general elections with environmental fines imposed over the past ten years by Ibama and ICMBio. Altogether, those penalties total nearly R$ 120 million across 190 administrative proceedings opened between 2017 and 2026.
Within that universe, 14 candidates account for more than R$ 100 million in sanctions. For that cut, according to g1, only candidates who individually accumulate at least R$ 1 million in fines were considered. Among them are candidates for state and federal deputy, the Senate, governor and alternates.
The violations include destruction of native vegetation, land clearing, exploitation of protected areas and operation of potentially polluting activities without a license. According to the report, seven of those candidates are linked to fines recorded in Pará, especially in municipalities such as Altamira and São Félix do Xingu, in areas of the Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area or on its borders.
The largest amount belongs to Daniel Messac de Morais, a candidate for state deputy for Mobiliza in Goiás, with four fines totaling R$ 60.7 million. The largest, for R$ 50 million, was issued in 2020 in São Félix do Xingu for an offense against flora. g1 said that fine has its enforceability suspended by court decision.
Next are Romero Jatobá Cavalcanti Neto, a candidate for state deputy for the PSB in Pernambuco, with seven fines totaling R$ 17.5 million, and José Lopes Junior, a candidate for state deputy for Republicanos in Acre, with 12 fines totaling R$ 8.2 million. According to g1, Lopes is the candidate with the most proceedings in the survey.
Also listed are Ulisses Vieira Coutinho dos Santos, with a fine of R$ 3.3 million; Mauricio Buffon, with R$ 3.1 million; Thiago Araujo, with R$ 2.4 million; Edson Giroto, with R$ 2 million; Antonio Galvan, with R$ 1.6 million; Deodalto José Ferreira, Tobias Laurindo and José Alexandre Domingues Guimarães, with R$ 1.5 million each; Daniel Barbosa Santos, with R$ 1.4 million; Simão Peixoto Lima, with R$ 1.3 million; and Wanderley Dias Vieira, with R$ 1 million.
g1 stressed that having an environmental fine, even one in the millions, does not by itself make a candidate ineligible. For environmental ineligibility under the Clean Record Law to apply, there must be a final criminal conviction or one issued by a collegiate body for an environmental crime, and not merely an administrative infraction or fine.
The survey also indicates that a large share of the cases is at different administrative stages. According to the information published by g1, there are proceedings in the homologation phase or defense period, others under appeal review, cases pending payment and some already headed for registration as active debt. Between Daniel Messac, Ulisses Vieira and Tobias Laurindo, the fines with suspended enforceability exceed R$ 54 million.
According to the same report, the predominant profile among the fined candidates is that of men linked to agribusiness and business activities, especially in municipalities in the Legal Amazon and the so-called deforestation arc. Pará leads the state breakdown, with R$ 77 million in pending fines for infractions committed in its territory.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
