# PCO Founder Rui Costa Pimenta Defends Bolsonarism Against Judicial Persecution Pimenta criticizes Supreme Court actions against Flávio Bolsonaro despite ideological differences. - **Source:** [Folha – Poder](https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder) - **Published:** 2026-11-04 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/30b1d503-c4f1-4d63-8ba1-6620e08b1ec8 ## Unexpected Political Defense Rui Costa Pimenta, founder of the Workers' Cause Party (PCO), has publicly defended the legitimacy of Bolsonarism. He argues that recent judicial actions against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, including passport seizures, lack legal foundation. Pimenta emphasizes that despite his ideological opposition to the Liberal Party, he opposes what he perceives as systemic persecution. ## Critique of Judiciary Pimenta explicitly criticizes the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for its interventionist role in Brazilian politics. He advocates for a fundamental restructuring of the judiciary, proposing a system where judges are elected with fixed terms. He argues that the current court structure oversteps its authority by effectively legislating instead of the National Congress. ## PCO Legal Battles The PCO leader's stance is influenced by his own party's recent legal struggles. Last week, STF Minister Edson Fachin archived a 2022 investigation into the party regarding fake news allegations. The case, which led to the suspension of the party's social media accounts, was closed due to the expiration of legal deadlines. ## Seeking Legal Redress Following the dismissal of the fake news investigation, Pimenta announced that the PCO is considering filing a lawsuit against the Brazilian Union. The party seeks reparations for damages incurred during the period their social media accounts were suspended. He maintains that the party's core political opposition to the STF remains entirely unchanged. ## Ongoing Federal Investigation Beyond the fake news inquiry, Pimenta faces a separate investigation by the Federal Police regarding alleged misuse of electoral funds. Authorities suspect public money was directed to entities lacking operational capacity. Pimenta denies all irregularities, asserting that all services were legitimately contracted and that no illicit personal enrichment occurred during the process. ## Electoral Performance Doubts As a four-time presidential candidate, Pimenta expressed confusion regarding his recent electoral results. He noted that despite his perceived growth in online popularity, his vote count remained stagnant at approximately 15,000. While he stops short of claiming fraud due to a lack of evidence, he describes the consistency of these numbers as suspicious. ## Distinction from Coupism While Pimenta defends the political legitimacy of the Bolsonarist movement, he distances himself from specific extremist rhetoric. He explicitly rejects the notion of a coup, labeling such ideas as nonsense. He maintains a clear distinction between holding legitimate doubts about the electoral process and declaring the entire democratic outcome to be illegitimate. ## Broader Political Context Pimenta’s comments highlight a growing debate regarding the boundaries of judicial power in Brazil. By aligning with a political rival on the issue of due process, he underscores a shared concern among fringe parties regarding the influence of the judiciary. This development reflects deep-seated tensions within the nation's current political and legal framework. ## Sources covering this story - https://redir.folha.com.br/redir/online/poder/rss091/*https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2026/11/rui-costa-pimenta-do-pco-diz-ver-perseguicao-a-flavio-e-defende-legitimidade-do-bolsonarismo.shtml — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._