The president of Turilândia City Hall, Councilor José Luís Araújo Diniz, known as “Pelego” (União Brasil), temporarily took over as mayor of the municipality of Maranhão after the local court ordered the dismissal of Mayor Paulo Curió (União) and Vice Mayor Tânya Mendes (PRD). The politician will temporarily occupy this position while he is under house arrest and is the subject of an investigation by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco).
- 26 questions for 2026: In an election year, doubts and challenges range from national conflict to the justice system.
- PP accuses Tarcísio for “lack of attention” and threatens to launch his own candidacy for the SP government
The change was made official by an order published Friday, which recognizes the temporary vacancy of management positions within the municipal executive. The vice-president of the Chamber, Councilor Inailce Nogueira Lopes, has begun acting as president of the city Parliament – she is also under house arrest.
Pelego is one of those investigated as part of Operation Tântalo II. The public prosecutor claims that a criminal organization took power in Turilândia, 157 kilometers from the capital São Luís, to divert public resources from areas such as health and social assistance. Mayor Paulo Curió surrendered to the authorities and was arrested, as was his deputy.
In addition to them, businessmen, civil servants, ten councilors and a former councilor are suspected of having participated in this project, which would have illegally taken more than 56 million reais from public coffers. According to the MP, there is evidence of the commission of crimes such as criminal organization, tender fraud, active and passive corruption, embezzlement and money laundering, between 2021 and 2025.
Pelego and other councilors under house arrest were authorized by the Court to leave their homes only to participate in previously scheduled sessions in the House. At g1, prosecutor Fernando Berniz, of the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), of the Maranhão Public Prosecutor’s Office, said that the exercise of the position of advisor is authorized by law, because the politician has not been removed from office. However, he considered that there is no judicial authorization to exercise the functions of mayor.
— He can’t. If you wish to exercise functions within the Executive, you must request authorization from the judge. Today, he can only leave the house to attend pre-designated city council meetings, he said.
About The Author
