Judge Ricardo Couto completes one month this Friday (24th) with . The “double life” begins to generate discomfort and veiled threats from politicians dissatisfied with the cuts in the Guanabara Palace machine, while receiving support from the opposition to the former governor (PL).
Couto has consulted at the Court of Justice and used magistrates from the court structure to study topics of interest to the Executive. At the same time, he continued to sign administrative acts of the Judiciary, but avoided analyzing processes that involved political disputes in the state.
He took over the government afterwards. The following day, he made his only public statement as head of the Executive. He said he was considering a temporary appointment and declared that he did not know whether he would remain in the position for “a week, a month or a month or so”.
“In this exercise, I have to be concerned about drastic changes and their consequences, about the prospect of a change and my leaving in a week and this change being reversed. All of this I have to analyze responsibly and I will do so. You can be sure that all my actions will be reflected acts, they will be acts thought out, matured with total responsibility”, he stated at the time.
A month later, according to the government, they presented “functional inconsistencies, such as the lack of access records to internal systems and the lack of institutional accreditation”.
Data from the Official Gazette indicate a balance of 1,107 dismissals as of Wednesday (22) in different departments, almost 70% concentrated in the Government and Civil House secretariats, the political-administrative heart of the Guanabara Palace. Couto also changed the heads of these two departments, but kept most of the secretaries appointed by Castro.
The judge also ordered the suspension of new hiring in the Infrastructure, Works and Cities departments and began an audit of contracts across the entire state administration.
The dismissals and restrictions on contracts generated complaints, subject to reservation, from Castro’s allies who held political positions in the government. Members of the Couto administration have already received complaints, pointing out the dismissal of people who actually worked, even if they were appointed by political appointment.
The complaints have left TJ-RJ judges concerned about possible retaliation, with the collection of information about court expenses. These magistrates point out that the scenario is already adverse for members of the Judiciary due to the .
On the other hand, opposition deputies have applauded Couto’s actions. He received at least two members of Alerj with specific agendas involving security and education. According to reports, the interim governor called magistrates to study issues indicated as urgent.
“He was helpful and has made a very prudent assessment of the state’s situation,” said deputy Flávio Serafini (PSOL), one of those who met with Couto.
One of the demands raised by the deputy is the salary recovery of civil servants. Professors at Uerj (State University of Rio de Janeiro) went on strike the day after the new governor took office.
One of the interim governor’s main concerns during this period is the state’s financial health. With a predicted deficit of R$19 billion, Rio de Janeiro could be severely affected with an adverse result in the trial on the redistribution of oil royalties, which will be resumed next month at the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
At the same time as he commands the Guanabara Palace, Couto continues to sign administrative acts of the TJ-RJ and participate in Judiciary ceremonies wearing the traditional magistrate’s robe. However, he preferred to delegate to the 1st vice-president of the court, Suely Lopes Magalhães, the decisions in actions that sought to prevent the vote for the presidency of Alerj – processes of attribution of the head of the Judiciary.
Couto is in charge of the STF, which determines his permanence. A, a name that, in theory, would be ahead of him in the state’s line of succession.
This Wednesday (23), the Assembly filed a request with the STF for Douglas Ruas to temporarily take over the government in place of the judge, as the deputy was appointed head of the Legislature in an internal election last week.
The Supreme Court has not yet scheduled the resumption of the trial in which Couto’s continued tenure in office will be discussed. Minister Flávio Dino interrupted the analysis on the 9th when he asked to see the process that discusses how to choose the buffer governor in the state, who will complete his term of office until December 2026.
He stated that he preferred to vote only after the publication of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) ruling on Castro’s conviction. According to him, the document is crucial to define whether the election for the buffer mandate should be direct, by popular vote, or indirect, by state deputies.
Promised by Minister Cármen Lúcia, president of the electoral court, for the following week, the ruling has not yet been published.
Last in the line of succession, the judge began to command the state because former deputy Thiago Pampolha had left office last year and the then president of Alerj, Rodrigo Bacellar (União Brasil), was away due to the investigation into leaked information about an operation against a former deputy linked to Comando Vermelho.
