Former president Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party has chosen Senator Rogério Marinho as its candidate to lead Brazil's Senate, setting up a challenge to the current Senate president, Davi Alcolumbre, The Rio Times reports. The party made the decision on Wednesday, opting not to back Alcolumbre, of the centre-right União Brasil, in a vote due in early February 2027.
The Senate president controls which bills, impeachment requests and amnesty proposals reach a vote. Opposition politicians accuse Alcolumbre of floating an amnesty for Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup, to win right-wing support, and say he broke earlier promises. A candidate needs 41 of the 81 votes. The outlet estimates Marinho starts with about 32, including allies from the Novo party. He lost a previous bid for the post in 2023 by 49 votes to 32.
Source: The Rio Times