The president Lula (PT) called the interim governor of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Couto“interventor”, when referring to him during the signing ceremony of the term of state membership to the Propaganda (Program for Full Payment of State Debts), this Monday (22).
The term meets criticism from members of the PL Couto’s continued tenure in office. Allies of the current president of Alerj (Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro), Douglas Ruas (PL), have classified the magistrate’s stay in the Executive as a type of intervention in the Rio de Janeiro for the STF (Supreme Federal Court), responsible for its maintenance in the government.
The assessment, shared in reserve even by allies of Eduardo Paes (PSD), is due to the fact that the decision subverts the state line of succession. Ruas had two requests denied by the STF to take on the post since his selection as head of Alerj, in April.
At this Monday’s ceremony, Lula and Couto also exchanged compliments.
“All I want is that, when fulfilling your task as intervenor of Rio de Janeiro, the people know that they cannot elect anyone who does not do what you are doing: take care of the people of Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, congratulations, governor. May God give you all the luck in the world and may you become the governor who made the necessary corrections for the government to work”, said the PT member, who was hoarse and gave a brief speech.
Lula has made nods to Couto. At an event at the end of May, asked for a round of applause for the interim governor and stated that “this man will help fix Rio de Janeiro”.
At this Monday’s ceremony, Couto said that the federal government has “a great team” and thanked the president for Propag.
The judge, who is president of the Court of Justice, took over the government in March after the resignation of Claudio Castro (PL), on the eve of the trial in which the former governor was declared ineligible by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court).
Last in the line of succession, he took office because the state was without a vice-governor since the resignation of Thiago Pampolha last year to take up a vacancy at the TCE (State Audit Court). The then president of Alerj, Rodrigo Bacellar (União Brasil), was removed from office due to the investigation into leaked information about an operation against a former deputy linked to Comando Vermelho.
The Supreme Court decided to keep Couto until the conclusion of the process in which it analyzes how the buffer governor, the new head of the Guanabara Palace, will be decided after the double vacancy — when governor and vice leave their positions. The court discusses whether there will be a direct election, by popular vote, or an indirect one, by state deputies.
The case has been at a standstill since Minister Flávio Dino requested a review to better analyze the case.
Last week, Couto presented an argument that would justify his remaining in office until the election of the buffer governor, who will complete his term in December. Although this analysis was attributed to the Supreme Court, it was never done openly by the ministers, either in plenary or in votes.
“In this case, it seems, the Supreme Court has been making an option by mentioning that what matters is the date of the event giving rise to the assumption. When the double vacancy occurred, the person who would have legitimacy would only be the president of the court. And placing the president of the court and then, in the following months, placing the president of Alerj and then, in the following months, placing an elected governor would bring tremendous insecurity. The option until now for the Supreme Court has been the option for security”, he stated, during a lecture by the Lide-RJ group.
The interim governor also estimated that he would remain in office at least three months.
“Today the forecast would be more or less 90 days. Given the idea of an election, direct or indirect, we would have a person to stay in government for the remaining period and then the elected governor would take over. I don’t know if it is the best solution. The State needs security”, he said at the time.
The ceremony to celebrate the agreement took place at Palácio Guanabara, headquarters of the Rio de Janeiro Executive. Propag is the federal government program that allows the refinancing of states’ debts with the Union through counterparts.
According to Lula, Propag is “a civilizing agreement”.
“Rio de Janeiro is no longer the capital of the Republic and started to appear in the national press on police pages. Since Rio would have to be looked after with great care because we all know that the face of Brazil in the world continues to be Rio”, said the president.
Adhesion is a bet by Rio de Janeiro to try to alleviate the fiscal imbalance. Couto’s administration has promised measures to attack the deficit in local accounts, initially predicted by the LOA (Annual Budget Law) at almost R$19 billion in 2026.
Lula authorized in May the state’s exit from the Tax Recovery Regime to join Propag.
The Rio de Janeiro management states that the debt with the Union, currently at R$210.6 billion, will fall to R$168.5 billion with the program. From July onwards, the monthly installment paid by the state will reduce on average from R$436 million to R$119 million.
In the afternoon, during an event to sign urbanization works in Guaratiba, in the west zone of Rio, Lula stated that “fate wanted” Couto to take over the government.
“His task is very noble. It is to try to moralize Rio de Janeiro’s politics and end corruption in that state,” said Lula.
The president stated that Couto did not need to make electoral promises to take office, as he came to government after the resignation of Cláudio Castro (PL). “As he was not a candidate for governor, he did not have to promise anything to anyone,” he said.
Lula also said he hopes that the interim manager will be able to accomplish, in six months, “what has not been done in ten, 15, 20 years.”
Despite the PT member’s speech, Couto’s length of stay in office depends on analysis by the Supreme Court.
In a nod to Lula, the interim governor stated that there is currently unity between federal, state and municipal governments and classified his administration as a “handing over of the baton”.
Lula also commented on the execution of the works under the New PAC (Growth Acceleration Program) and stated that part of the announced projects are still in the work order phase. The president said that, in some cases, he imagined that interventions were already underway.
“I thought I was going to inaugurate the work, but I discovered that I didn’t come to inaugurate, I came to give the work order”, he stated.
The president attributed part of the delays to the stage of preparing projects and tenders and said that the federal government seeks to speed up the execution of works in partnership with states and municipalities.
