STF (Supreme Federal Court) Minister Alexandre de Moraes added another important task last month by taking over, albeit temporarily, the so-called ADPF das Favelas. This solidifies the judge’s status as the court’s point of reference on public safety, an issue currently on the national agenda and likely to dominate the 2026 election debate.
After forwarding the case to his office, Mr. Moraes traveled to Rio de Janeiro to continue the process related to the investigation launched by the federal police into organized crime in the state, as well as to hold accountable those responsible, including Governor Claudio Castro, who was responsible for the deadliest containment operation in the country’s history, resulting in 121 deaths.
ADPF das Favelas was first reported by Edson Fachin. When he became president of the court in September, the case was handed over to the office of his predecessor, Luis Roberto Barroso. A successor to Barroso, who has now stepped down, has not yet been decided, but the position of rapporteur will be given to Moraes, the next oldest Cabinet member.
People close to the court say the minister, who also rapporteured the coup plot that led to the conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is not refusing to take the lead, although he is feeling some fatigue from tackling the thorny issue. Currently recruiting sheet Moraes declined to comment through his office.
This characteristic attributed to Moraes would, for example, explain the meeting with Castro that Moraes requested in one of the first acts of the ADPF das Favelas. His unusual posture attracted attention.
Supreme Court observers say Mr. Moraes’ efforts are routine and similar to magistrates visiting prisons to check on prison conditions.
But others who follow the process understand that judges are not peace officers and that just because they have knowledge of the facts to decide does not necessarily require them to go to the scene like investigators. The judge knows the facts based on the evidence the parties submit to the proceeding.
In a separate ruling in the case file, Moraes ordered the preservation and “rigorous and complete” documentation of all materials related to the execution of operations in the Peña and Alemán complexes.
Moraes actively speaks during the plenary session whenever security issues are brought up in court. Such was the case in April when a court vetoed embarrassing strip searches of visitors to prisons.
Ministers utilized their resources from virtual to in-person plenary sessions and were an energetic presence throughout the debate.
At such moments, ministers present research, intervene in the votes of their colleagues, recall their previous careers, and seek to influence the structure of their final papers.
Mr. Moraes served as São Paulo’s prosecutor, public security secretary, and attorney general, as well as minister of justice under former president Michel Temer, who appointed him to the Supreme Court. At the Justice Department, he dealt with a prison system on the verge of exploding.
Moraes’ rise as a public figure began in 2019, when he was appointed by Díaz Toffoli, then president of the court and reporter on fake news investigations.
This decision resulted in control of the 2022 coup planning process. Mr. Moraes led the criminal case and was sentenced after the process was accelerated when Mr. Bolsonaro and seven other defendants were found guilty of attempting to subvert democracy.
During this period, Moraes became a target of Donald Trump. Citing Bolsonaro’s ruling, the U.S. president imposed a 50% surcharge on Brazilian products, canceled visas for ministers and other officials, imposed economic sanctions on Bolsonaro, and later included Bolsonaro’s wife, lawyer Vivian Balsi de Moraes, and his family’s companies among those targeted under the Magnitsky Act.
This move mobilized Brazilian diplomacy, the Lula government (PT), which supported the minister, and colleagues from the court who expressed support, and also created a solid support base around the minister.
In 2025, in addition to the crime theme, Moraes also became relevant in other areas.
In June he was appointed Rapporteur for Action on Changes to the IOF (Financial Operations Tax). Since then, members of the government, Congress, and the courts themselves have debated a negotiated solution to the sensitive issue between Congress and the executive branch.
Moraes convened a mediation hearing, which ended without a resolution. method sheet However, it was shown that the discussion was starting to take shape during the 13th Lisbon Forum held at Gilmarpalooza. Possibilities already being discussed in Portugal include a reduction in interest rates and the abandonment of charges against dropped risks, the latter confirmed by the rapporteur’s decision.
Sources close to the court commented behind the scenes that Moraes saw the process as an opportunity to reduce the focus on the toughest actions in the criminal field and present himself as a balancer on other sensitive issues. Mr. Moraes also has good relationships with some parliamentary leaders, including Senate President David Alcolumbre (Federal Republic of Brazil, Associated Press).
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