Romeu Zema, a presidential pre-candidate representing the Novo party, called for harsher public security laws during a campaign visit to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday [1].
The proposals signal a shift toward more aggressive policing and judicial measures as Brazil approaches the 2026 presidential election. Zema's focus on territorial control by criminal factions targets a long-standing crisis in Brazil's urban centers.
Visiting the Tavares Bastos community in the city's South Zone, Zema said parts of Rio de Janeiro are currently controlled by criminal factions [1, 2]. He said current crime-fighting policies are flawed and argued that the state has lost control over specific territories [1, 2].
To combat this, Zema proposed that preventive detention be applied to individuals committing a third offense [1]. This measure would aim to remove repeat offenders from the streets more quickly to disrupt criminal cycles.
Beyond street-level crime, the Novo party candidate addressed political prisoners. Zema said he supports an amnesty for those convicted in connection with the events of Jan. 8, 2023 [1].
Zema also said militia members are traitors to the homeland [3]. He advocated for the mass incarceration of criminals to restore order to the region [3].
The visit to Rio de Janeiro serves as a platform for Zema to reinforce a security-centric discourse, contrasting his approach with current administration policies [1, 2].
“Romeu Zema called for harsher public security laws during a campaign visit to Rio de Janeiro.”
Zema's platform blends a 'law and order' approach to street crime with a conciliatory stance toward political dissidents from the 2023 riots. By proposing mass incarceration for repeat offenders while seeking amnesty for Jan. 8 convicts, he is attempting to appeal to a conservative base that views both urban insecurity and recent political prosecutions as primary national failures.
