Brazilian opposition senators have rejected the idea of exchanging support for Davi Alcolumbre’s bid for another term as Senate president for a pardon or amnesty for former president Jair Bolsonaro. Most say they will not back Alcolumbre, despite some lawmakers suggesting that a move on Bolsonaro’s case could help reopen discussions with the right.
The opposition’s leading candidates for the Senate presidency are Rogério Marinho of the Liberal Party (PL) and Tereza Cristina of the Progressives (PP). Their main priority is impeaching Supreme Federal Court justices, a step they say a right-wing Senate leadership could pursue while challenging President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government.
Opposition lawmakers are also skeptical of Alcolumbre’s proposal and want him to deliver on an earlier pledge to reduce the sentences of people convicted over the January 8, 2023 attacks. Congress approved the measure, but it was suspended by an interim ruling from Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The full Supreme Court has yet to rule on its legality.
A pardon is granted by the president through a decree and removes a sentence without overturning the conviction. An amnesty requires congressional approval through legislation and erases the crime itself. Either measure could be reviewed by the Supreme Court for constitutionality.
Carlos Jordy, a lawmaker who has been elected to the Senate, said the issue went beyond a pardon for Bolsonaro and involved the balance between branches of government. He also questioned Alcolumbre’s credibility, saying the opposition remembered a previous amnesty proposal that was narrowed into a sentence-reduction measure and then stalled. Senator Jorge Seif said the proposal would not change his opposition to Alcolumbre, adding that the right had already supported him in 2024 on the basis of a promise of amnesty.
Right-wing senators told Folha that Alcolumbre might win some Bolsonaro supporters over only if he advanced a measure benefiting the former president before the Senate leadership election. Even that prospect is considered remote by allies of the current Senate president. PL members say they do not trust his promises, arguing that after winning the presidency of the Senate in 2025 with support from both the opposition and Lula, he largely met the government’s demands instead of theirs. The PL group expected to take office in February 2027 is described as even more resistant to him.
Alcolumbre is seeking support from the right while limiting pressure to impeach Supreme Court justices. He has told allies he intends to speak with Lula about a humanitarian pardon for Bolsonaro, who has been in prison since August 2025 over his role in an attempted coup. If Lula rejects the idea, Alcolumbre says he will support an amnesty bill in Congress.
Senator Laércio Oliveira said he raised the idea with Alcolumbre on Monday, the day after Flávio Bolsonaro lost the presidential election. Oliveira described the proposal as separate from the Senate leadership contest, saying its aim was to ease political tensions rather than secure votes.
Under the proposal, Alcolumbre wants the right to stop pressing for the impeachment of Supreme Court justices and instead focus on broader judicial reform. Allies believe impeachment has become less likely following Lula’s victory, potentially making an agreement more attractive to the opposition. At least 49 of the 81 senators in the next legislature support impeaching justices, though some do so with reservations; removing a justice requires 54 votes.
Senators in the governing coalition doubt that Alcolumbre genuinely intends to pardon Bolsonaro. They believe the right has been left without a natural leader after Flávio Bolsonaro’s defeat, which could make it easier for some senators to support Alcolumbre. He is also relying on a secret ballot to attract PL votes. The party will hold 29 seats from 2027 and has allies in other parties; 41 votes are required to elect the Senate president.
The PL caucus is scheduled to meet next Wednesday and is expected to nominate Marinho. Cristina also intends to run, and both candidates say they will join forces before the election to defeat Alcolumbre.
Sources: Folha Poder.