Impeached in 2021, Witzel agrees to join the DC and prepares a candidacy for the government of Rio
The former governor of Rio de Janeiro Wilson Witzel agreed to join the Christian Democracy (DC) and is preparing to launch his pre-candidacy for the Guanabara Palace in the 2026 elections. The formalization of joining the party is scheduled for March 6, according to the party’s pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, Aldo Rebelo.
According to Rebelo, the acronym organizes an event to mark affiliation. “The initial date of affiliation is the 6th, to be confirmed. The expectation is that former governor Witzel can defend a path for the reconstruction of Rio de Janeiro and support my pre-candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic”, he told the reporter.
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When contacted, Witzel did not officially speak out until the publication of this text. At the beginning of the month, he stated that he intended to run for government again for a center-right party, whose name would be announced between the end of March and the beginning of April, but the decision was brought forward.
Opportunity with security!
In 2018, when he was elected, Witzel was a member of the extinct Christian Social Party (PSC), a party that was incorporated by Podemos in 2023.
Bolsonaro’s ally in that election, Witzel won the dispute for the Guanabara Palace in a scenario considered surprising. He later became the first governor to be impeached since redemocratization. He was accused of criminal responsibility for his alleged involvement in healthcare fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On April 30, 2021, the Special Mixed Court responsible for the impeachment trial revoked his mandate and declared him ineligible for five years. As the ineligibility period ends before the end of the candidacy registration period, which runs until August 15, the former governor will be able to contest this year’s election.
At the beginning of the month, in a video published on social media, the former judge stated that he was “more experienced” and “more cautious” about returning to his position. He said he was the target of “public lynching” and that he deserves a new chance.
“I return with a deeper understanding of the real workings of power and the inner workings of the Rio de Janeiro system,” he declared. According to him, when he took office he wanted to “change everything quickly”, but now he recognizes that “lasting changes require institutional dialogue, planning and technical shielding of decisions”.
Witzel assessed the electoral scenario as undefined, but stated that the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes (PSD), tends to represent the most left-wing camp, due to his alliance with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). “On the right side, there is still no definition of who the candidate will be. I guarantee that I will be a candidate for a center-right party”, he declared at the beginning of the month.
