Brazilian Laicity Group Files Electoral Complaint Over Malafaia Service Backing Flávio Bolsonaro

Overview

• The Movimento Brasil Laico filed the complaint on Monday with Rio’s Regional Electoral Prosecutor after a Sunday church service where Pastor Silas Malafaia endorsed Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and called politicians to the pulpit.
• The representation alleges early campaigning inside a temple, which election law treats as a common-use space where propaganda is forbidden, and it cites abuse of religious and economic power, illicit donation by a religious entity, and illegal vote seeking.
• The group asks for fines of R$25,000 per person, eight years of ineligibility for those named, urgent preservation of the broadcast videos, and a Federal Revenue probe into whether the church ADVEC misused its tax-exempt status.
• Malafaia and allies deny wrongdoing, saying the event was a prayer and an exercise of religious freedom, while the electoral prosecutor’s office evaluates the filing and no charges or sanctions have been announced.
• The case highlights the growing clash over the political role of evangelical churches, with ADVEC operating 149 temples nationwide and the same association having previously challenged Flávio Bolsonaro’s appearances at religious events.