Rio de Janeiro prosecutor challenges Júnior da Lucinha's candidacy

The Electoral Public Ministry (MPE) has filed a lawsuit to challenge the candidacy of Rio de Janeiro city councilor Tadeu Amorim de Barros Júnior, known as Júnior da Lucinha, for state deputy under the PSD party. The Regional Electoral Prosecutor's Office alleges that his candidacy is a ‘merely formal succession’ intended to maintain the family’s ‘political-territorial estate’ in Rio’s West Zone.

Júnior is the son of State Deputy Lucinha, who is a defendant in a criminal case stemming from Operation Dinastia II and is suspected of being part of the political core of the ‘Bonde do Zinho’ criminal organization. To support the challenge, the MPE cited data from the TRE-RJ showing a high concentration of votes in the same electoral zones: Lucinha received 89.9% of her 2022 votes in Santa Cruz and Campo Grande, while Júnior received 89.1% of his 2024 votes in those same areas.

The prosecution also reported allegations of electoral intimidation and potential payments to local militias to ensure campaign exclusivity. The MPE argues that while family ties alone do not justify disqualification, they become relevant when combined with evidence suggesting the continuity of criminal group influence in the political process.