Brazil's Supreme Court schedules August 19 hearing on Rio de Janeiro governorship succession

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) scheduled a hearing for 19 August to decide a lawsuit over how the interim governorship of Rio de Janeiro should be filled. The case stems from the resignation of former governor Cláudio Castro, who was later declared ineligible by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). With the vice‑governor Thiago Pampolha having left office and former Assembly president Rodrigo Bacellar removed, the TSE ordered indirect elections by the state legislature to choose a caretaker governor until the end of 2026. The state branch of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) appealed to the STF, arguing that a direct, popular vote is required. The court had paused the case in April after Justice Flávio Dino requested a view. In the meantime, the president of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice, Ricardo Couto de Castro, is serving as interim governor.