What is ficha limpa?

Ficha Limpa is a Brazilian law that aims to prevent people convicted of certain crimes from running for political office. The law was approved by the Brazilian Congress in 2010 and requires that all candidates running for local, state, or federal office have a “clean record” regarding their criminal history.

Specifically, the Ficha Limpa law prohibits candidates with convictions for crimes such as corruption, fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, and crimes against the environment from running for office for a period of eight years after their conviction. The law also applies to candidates who have had their convictions overturned on appeal or who have resigned from their positions to avoid impeachment or disciplinary action.

Ficha Limpa has been widely supported by Brazilian civil society organizations and widely criticized by those who argue that it violates the principle of “presumption of innocence” and that it is overly restrictive and disproportionately impacts certain candidates. Nevertheless, the law has been credited with helping to promote transparency and accountability in Brazilian politics and reducing the number of candidates with a history of corruption or other criminal activity.