Tarcísio Defends Brazil’s Voting Machines and Backs Court Impeachments
Brazil · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What happened Brazil’s most electable right-wing governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, now fully trusts the country’s electronic voting machines.
- —How big a jump He was a minister under Jair Bolsonaro, whose movement built its identity on doubting those machines.
- —The catch Tarcísio also called impeaching Supreme Court justices a legitimate instrument, escalating a constitutional fight.
- —Who it touches Senator Flávio Bolsonaro embraced influencer Pablo Marçal, who is barred from debates this week over legal cases.
- —What comes next Brazil votes in October, and whether Marçal joins a ticket or impeachment reaches the Senate remains open.
One of the loudest claims on the Brazilian right just lost a prominent believer. Another gained one.
Tarcísio de Freitas said he trusts Brazil’s electronic voting machines absolutely. In the same interview he said impeaching Supreme Court justices is a legitimate instrument.
What He Said About the Voting Machines
Brazil’s electronic voting machines have been attacked from the right for years. Tarcísio de Freitas has now put himself on the other side of that argument.
His words were direct. He said he trusts the security of the machines absolutely, and that it is no longer a subject.
He added that the country has to talk about other things. That is a politician closing a file rather than reopening it.
The remark carries weight because of who made it. Tarcísio was a minister under Jair Bolsonaro, whose movement built much of its identity on doubting those machines.
He is not a neutral voice in that argument. He helped build it, and he is now walking away from it.
What He Said About the Supreme Court
On the Supreme Federal Court he moved the other way. He said impeaching a justice is a valid instrument.
His reasoning was about process, not people. If a president can be impeached, he asked, why not a justice, provided due process is followed.
He also warned against making the debate personal. In other words, it should not become a campaign against one named justice.
In Brazil, impeaching a Supreme Court justice requires the Senate. It has never succeeded.
Saying the instrument exists is not the same as saying it should be used now. Tarcísio drew that line deliberately.
The Third Thing He Said
Less noticed, he also backed ending re-election for executive offices. That would cover the presidency, state governorships and city halls.
Brazil allows one consecutive re-election at each of those levels. Removing it is a recurring proposal that never quite passes.
Coming from a governor seeking his own re-election, the position is at least consistent in principle. It would apply after his own term.
It is also the kind of institutional reform that polls well and moves slowly.
Meanwhile, Flávio Bolsonaro Embraced Pablo Marçal
On the same day, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, running for president for the PL, was asked about the businessman and influencer Pablo Marçal.
He called Marçal a well-known figure in São Paulo, a good guy, prepared and well-intentioned. He said everyone standing up for Brazil should be embraced.
He then listed the names he expects to win with: Ricardo Nunes, André do Prado, Derrite, Tarcísio, himself, and Marçal.
That is an invitation to a broad alliance, not a signed deal. No office was named for Marçal.
Why the Marçal Question Is Awkward
Marçal is not an uncomplicated ally. Brazil’s electoral court barred him this week from debates and from free television time.
Prosecutors have also questioned his declaration of assets. Both cases are still open, according to O Globo.
Embracing him therefore has a cost as well as a benefit. He brings an audience and a legal problem in the same package.
Flávio‘s answer suggests he has decided the audience is worth more.
What This Tells a Foreign Reader
Two things are happening at once on the Brazilian right, and they point in opposite directions.
The voting machines argument is being wound down by the movement’s most electable governor. That reduces one source of post-election instability.
The court argument is being wound up. A campaign that promises to impeach justices is a campaign that promises a constitutional fight.
For anyone with money or a business in Brazil, the second matters more than the first. Courts decide tax cases, concession disputes and regulatory appeals.
Tarcísio put both positions on the record in a single sitting.
What to Watch
The first thing is whether other candidates follow him on the voting machines. That would effectively end the dispute.
The second is whether any impeachment request against a sitting justice reaches the Senate floor. Filing one is easy; scheduling one is not.
The third is whether Marçal ends up on anyone’s ticket. Being barred from debates does not bar him from a candidacy.
Brazil votes in October. Positions taken in August are not always the positions defended in September.
Tarcísio remains the most electable figure on the Brazilian right by most polling this month. What he says about institutions therefore travels further than most.
Both of Thursday’s positions will be quoted back at him.
Background: Brazil Tax Reform Timeline: Tech Sector Faces 2026 Invoice Shock.
Background: Lula 39%, Flávio Bolsonaro 33% — Brazil’s Race in the July Polls.
Background: Fintechs and Digital Banks in Brazil 2026: Market Guide.
What did he say about the voting machines?
That he trusts their security absolutely, that it is not a subject any more, and that it should not be one.
Can Brazilian Supreme Court justices be impeached?
The instrument exists and requires the Senate. It has never succeeded against a sitting justice.
What did Flávio Bolsonaro say about Pablo Marçal?
That Marçal is well known in São Paulo, a good guy, prepared and well-intentioned. He named him as part of the group he expects to win with. No office or formal alliance was named.
When was all this said?
Thursday 20 August 2026. Tarcísio spoke in a joint interview with O Globo, CBN and Valor; Flávio’s remarks were reported by O Globo the same day.
Connected Coverage
Brazil’s electoral court bars Pablo Marçal from debates and TV time
Sources
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief