Brazil's PSOL eyes R$131.5 million electoral fund amid internal dispute

The Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL) has been allocated R$131.5 million from Brazil’s Fund Eleitoral for the 2026 elections, representing 2.65 % of the total R$4.9 billion pool. This amount is 14.9 % of what the Liberal Party (PL) receives and 21.4 % of the Workers’ Party (PT) allocation, placing PSOL 12th out of 30 parties in the distribution ranking.

Within PSOL, a faction led by deputy Erika Hilton has questioned the fairness of the fund’s distribution criteria, alleging that the party’s program to support women, Black and disabled candidates is being “dismantled” by party president Paula Coradi. In response, federation president Juliano Medeiros said Hilton herself will receive the largest share – R$2.3 million – and defended the allocation process. The fund distribution follows four quota rules, including an equal share for all registered parties and additional shares based on votes for the Chamber, size of the parliamentary caucus, and Senate representation. The “barrier clause” requiring parties to meet minimum vote thresholds to access the fund also features in the debate.

The dispute highlights internal tensions over resource allocation ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle and raises questions about how Brazil’s public financing rules affect smaller parties.