Brazil’s Federal Police carried out searches in the northern state of Amapá on October 1, 2026, as part of an Electoral Prosecutor’s Office investigation into allegations of vote buying, electoral coercion and misuse of public structures.
Authorities seized approximately R$1.85 million, as well as undisclosed amounts of euros and U.S. dollars. The origin and intended use of the money remain under investigation. No arrests were reported.
Seven people are under investigation. Folha de S.Paulo identified one of them as state deputy Aldilene Souza. Searches were conducted at the home and legislative office of one investigated person and at addresses linked to six others. The investigation remains at a preliminary stage and the allegations have not established wrongdoing by any person under scrutiny.
What happened
The Electoral Prosecutor’s Office is examining whether access to Amapá’s Renda para Viver Melhor social-assistance program and the distribution of food baskets may have been conditioned on political support.
Investigators allege possible electoral misconduct involving public resources and state structures. Such claims are allegations being assessed by investigators, rather than findings of guilt or a court judgment.
Two public employees were temporarily removed from their positions through the end of the election’s second round. The action was part of the investigative measures announced by the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office.
Aldilene Souza had not responded by the time of Folha’s report. The official has not been found guilty of any offense in connection with the investigation.
Why it matters
The case concerns the integrity of elections and the administration of benefits intended for people receiving social assistance. Investigators are looking into whether public programs may have been used in a way that influenced voters, an allegation that can carry consequences under Brazil’s electoral rules if substantiated through the legal process.
The investigation also puts attention on the separation between the institutional administration of welfare programs and electoral activity. Amapá’s government said the inquiry was unrelated to the institutional management of Renda para Viver Melhor. The state social-assistance department said benefits are administered according to technical and legal criteria.
The bigger picture
Renda para Viver Melhor is a state social-assistance program in Amapá. Prosecutors said the number of beneficiaries increased from about 10,000 to 13,305 by June 2026.
The Electoral Prosecutor’s Office explicitly said that the increase by itself does not demonstrate wrongdoing. Its relevance to the inquiry is therefore limited to the broader set of circumstances investigators are examining, alongside the alleged conditioning of benefits and food baskets on political support.
The case illustrates the distinction between an expansion in program coverage, which can occur under lawful administration, and the separate allegation that access may have been used for electoral purposes. The investigation will need to establish whether there is evidence connecting any benefits or distributions to improper political activity.
By the numbers
- R$1.85 million: approximate amount seized by authorities.
- Additional currency: euros and U.S. dollars were also seized, though authorities did not disclose the amounts.
- Seven: people under investigation.
- Two: public employees temporarily removed from their posts through the end of the election’s second round.
- 13,305: reported number of program beneficiaries by June 2026, up from about 10,000.
What happens next
Investigators will continue examining the seized material and the allegations surrounding the social-assistance program and food-basket distribution. The available information does not indicate charges, a trial or a judgment.
Whether the inquiry leads to further legal action will depend on evidence gathered during the investigation and subsequent decisions by the relevant authorities. For now, the seven people remain under investigation, and no arrests have been reported.