The mayor of , (), began his last week in office making deliveries in areas that , with a view to the future campaign for the Guanabara Palace.
This Monday (16), Paes and the governor () fought over control of transport in Greater Rio with the start of operation of the BRT Metropolitano, created by the city hall. The municipal management put buses on the streets to connect Mesquita, in Baixada Fluminense, to the capital of Rio de Janeiro, despite threats of towing made by the state government.
On Sunday (15), the mayor participated in the ceremony to begin work on the streets. This was a campaign promise with the aim of intensifying its participation in the issue of public security, identified as the main issue in the coming Rio de Janeiro.
Paes will resign from his position next Friday (20) to run for the Government of Rio de Janeiro, to complete the term for which he was elected in 2024. He will leave command of the municipality as the one who commanded the City Palace for the longest time: 13 years and 3 months. He is also the first to not complete the term for which he was elected.
The clash with Castro generated a kind of “bus war” this Monday, in Mesquita.
The city hall started the bus service from the city of Baixada Fluminense towards the Pedro Fernandes Metropolitan Terminal, recently opened by Paes. The promise is to reduce time and costs for residents of the metropolitan region who work in the capital.
The Castro administration, however, prohibited the execution of the service, claiming that it was not authorized and was a responsibility of the state government.
The conflict led to the towing of a vehicle and the threat of arrest of Rio de Janeiro’s municipal secretary of Transport, Jorge Arraes. After the clash in the morning, the Paes administration suspended services, which provided for the use of 15 buses.
On his social networks, the mayor criticized the state government for banning the service.
“Hello people of Baixada Fluminense, especially Mesquita. The Cláudio Castro government just seized our BRT Metropolitano bus that will serve the residents of Baixada for half the time and half the price! What disrespectful people. And there’s more: they are defending the bus mafia and the tragedy that these intercity buses are. They don’t do it and they don’t let it do it!”, he wrote.
The president of Detro (Department of Road Transport), Raphael Salgado, stated that three letters were sent to Rio de Janeiro City Hall on the matter, all of which were unanswered.
“The mayor and his staff are aware that Detro has completed a study for a tender that has never been held in the state. We are sending the process to the TCE for subsequent publication of the notice. And this study says that, if the terminal is ready, we will converge the Baixada lines to this terminal.”
Salgado also stated that he would officiate the TRE (Regional Electoral Court) for electoral use of the project. “Ahead of an electoral campaign, four days away from becoming incompatible, he wants to garner votes with money from Rio de Janeiro in Baixada Fluminense.”
Late this Monday afternoon, Detro stated that, in consensus with the city hall, it authorized the operation of experimental lines to the terminal, and that it is also studying road connections with other municipalities.
The clash comes after one between the two last week, following the arrest of councilor Salvino Oliveira (PSD), former secretary of Paes, on suspicion of links to Comando Vermelho.
The mayor accused the governor of using the Civil Police to persecute political opponents. Castro, in turn, called the councilor “the political arm of the CV at city hall.” One day later, judge Marcus Basílio considered the evidence of links with the faction “quite precarious”.
Castro also plans to resign from office to run for the Senate. At the same time, his mandate is at risk with the judgment that could result in his revocation by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court). The resumption of the analysis of the process is scheduled for March 24, before the non-compliance deadline.
The governor’s original plan was to remain in office until the April 2 deadline. However, the calculation may change depending on the progress of the process at the TSE.
If he is revoked, the state Constitution provides for a direct election to complete the term. If he resigns, an indirect election is expected, with the new governor for the buffer term elected by Alerj (Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro).
