Brazil Justice Ministry Dismisses Eduardo Bolsonaro from Federal Police Post

The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security officially dismissed former Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro from his permanent Federal Police (PF) civil service position on Monday, concluding a lengthy administrative disciplinary process. The order, signed by Justice Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva and published in the Official Gazette (Diário Oficial da União) on September 21, 2026, cites "abandonment of office" as the reason for the firing, a penalty triggered by more than 30 consecutive days of unjustified absence from his duties.

The dismissal targets a permanent role that Mr. Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was required to resume after his political mandates ended. He had been a licensed escrivão (clerk) with the PF in Rio de Janeiro, a coveted career position in one of the country's most powerful law enforcement agencies. That license expired after he was stripped of his federal congressional mandate in December 2025 for excessive absences from legislative sessions, having missed over 80% of the year's sittings while living in the United States.

Mr. Bolsonaro has been residing in the U.S. since February 2025, and has publicly maintained that he is living abroad as a "political exile" due to ongoing judicial pressure against the Bolsonaro family and their allies in Brazil. The administrative process to dismiss him was initiated in February 2026 after he failed to return to his permanent post in Rio de Janeiro following the loss of his seat in the Chamber of Deputies. The Federal Police had concluded its internal review recommending dismissal in July, sending the final decision for the Minister’s formal signature.

The disciplinary action ends Mr. Bolsonaro’s career as a federal law enforcement officer. It represents the latest in a series of institutional and judicial setbacks for the family, signalling the state’s continued capacity to enforce administrative and legal norms against even the most politically visible figures. Despite the dismissal, he retains his political rights and remains eligible to run for office in future elections, as the loss of his congressional mandate did not result in the suspension of those rights.

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What it touches This institutional enforcement against a member of the country's most prominent political family is a key data point for analysts tracking Brazil’s political risk and the maturity of its state institutions. It suggests a sustained commitment by the current administration and the judiciary to apply legal and administrative constraints irrespective of political stature, which is generally viewed by governance watchdogs as a positive element of institutional stability.