Brazil's CNDH calls for suspension of Rio's Zero Tolerance crackdown on street vendors

On 24 July 2026 the Conselho Nacional dos Direitos Humanos (CNDH) issued a public note expressing deep concern over Rio de Janeiro's Programa Tolerância Zero. The program, enacted by municipal decree 58.256/2026, aims to intensify beach order and targets street vendors (camelôs). The CNDH supports a request from the Ministério Público Federal for the immediate suspension of the decree, arguing that the measures violate human‑rights standards and constitute social exclusion of vulnerable populations. It highlights that the municipality acted without prior adhesion to the Term of Beach Management (TAGP) or an Integrated Management Plan (PGI), and that police operations have involved alleged violence, including the use of pepper spray against migrant women and children. The council stresses that the policy infringes the constitutional right to work and the “minimum existence” of thousands of families, and calls for strict protocols to prevent disproportionate force by public agents.