The nephew of UCKG founder Edir Macedo, Crivella has been instrumental in translating the church’s spiritual authority into political power—serving as a key figure in the institutionalization of Neo-Pentecostal influence in the Brazilian state.
He entered national politics in 2003 as a federal senator for Rio de Janeiro under the Liberal Party (PL), the same year José Alencar, also of the PL, was elected vice president on the ticket of left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Soon after, the UCKG-aligned faction split off to form the Brazilian Republican Party (PRB)—co-founded by Crivella—as a formal political arm of the church. Initially aligned with the Workers’ Party, Crivella was appointed Minister of Fisheries under President Dilma Rousseff.
Following several failed bids for local political office in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Crivella was elected Mayor of Rio de Janeiro in 2016, taking office on January 1, 2017. His tenure was widely criticized for advancing a Pentecostal moral agenda, including efforts to restrict Rio’s iconic Carnival and diminish the visibility of Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions. His administration was also plagued by accusations of cronyism and misuse of public funds.
In December 2020—just nine days before leaving office—Crivella was arrested on corruption charges, accused of running a patronage scheme from City Hall. The arrest followed a landslide reelection defeat, despite backing from then-President Jair Bolsonaro, with whom Crivella had become closely aligned.
Despite his legal troubles, Crivella was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2022. However, he has since been declared ineligible for reelection by the courts—a decision he is currently appealing. If upheld, it could result in his removal from office, though it is unlikely to diminish the broader political power of the (UCKG).
