David Almeida

David Antônio Abisai Pereira de Almeida (born February 8, 1969), better known as David Almeida, is a Brazilian lawyer and politician affiliated to the Avante. He was elected mayor of Manaus in the municipal elections of Brazil in 2020. In 2017 he was interim Governor of Amazonas after the annulment of José Melo de Oliveira and his vice-governor by TSE (Superior Electoral Court), due to problems in Brazilian justice. The Brazilian Constitution establishes that the annulment of a governor and his vice-governor, temporarily declares the presidency of the Legislative Assembly during the year, until the supplementary internal elections, from which they occurred in 2017, at the time Almeida was president of the legislative authority of the state of Amazonas. In 2020, David Almeida was elected mayor of the city of Manaus by the Avante, turning over the votes in the second round on Amazonino Mendes, of PODE, which ended first in the first round, succeeding Arthur Virgílio Neto, for the 2021–2025 term.

Controversies and Criminal Investigations During his tenure in the municipal executive branch, David Almeida became the target of multiple criminal and electoral investigations conducted by the state judiciary and the Federal Police.

Investigations in the State Court (TJAM) In November 2025, the Court of Justice of Amazonas (TJAM) authorized the opening of seven criminal investigations against David Almeida, acting upon requests submitted by the State Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-AM). The progression of this package of inquiries, which required judicial approval due to his prerogative of forum, had previously passed through five different rapporteurs over a 13-month period before being validated by Judge Vânia Marques Marinho. The case originated from a police operation executed on the eve of the runoff election, which resulted in the seizure of cash and mobile devices from leaders of the United Pentecostal Church of Brazil (IPUB). Transcripts of audio files and text messages included in the forensic reports revealed explicit conversations linking large cash transfers to requests for congregants to promote the candidate's campaign number on social media.