Vice-governor, Mateus Simões (PSD), took over the state with the promise of continuing the management’s actions and temporarily transferring the capital to the interior of the state
Romeu Zema resigned as governor of Minas Gerais this Sunday (22), ending a seven-year cycle at the head of the state Executive. With his official departure, due to the pre-campaign for the Presidency of the Republic, the vice-governor, Mateus Simões (PSD), took office as the new head of the State during a solemn meeting at the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais (ALMG), in Belo Horizonte.
Zema’s departure and the balance of his management were the highlights of the transition. Upon taking office, Simões thanked his predecessor for deliver a state with balanced accounts. The new governor highlighted that one of the great milestones of the government is that the end of progress in the renegotiation of state financesmade possible by Minas Gerais’ adherence to the State Debt Payment Program (Propag), approved with the support of state deputies.
As a consequence of Zema’s resignation, Simões announced the directions that the government will take in the coming months to continue the works and programs already initiated by the administration. He promised travel through the state’s 16 regions throughout the next three months. As an action to decentralize powerfrom the 26th, the administrative headquarters and capital of Minas Gerais will be temporarily transferred to each of these regions.
“Belo Horizonte is our capital, but Minas Gerais is too big to be understood from a distance”, explained the new governor, who promised to make new announcements focused on the accelerated development of the state.
In his first speech in the post left by Zema, Simões reinforced that will maintain a solid relationship with servers e will prioritize the population above ideological differences. Already security areaguaranteed that the management will not back down. He promised strict fight against criminal factions e institutional abusesin addition to protection for womenstating that the state “will not bow to those who defend bandits and state paralysis”.
Who is Mateus Simões
Mateus Simões has a long trajectory alongside Zema. In the first term, it was Secretary General of Governmentbeing a central piece in agendas, such as Propag’s own negotiations and the billion-dollar reparation agreements for tragedies of Brumadinho and Rio Doce.
University professor, businessman, rural producer and former councilor of the capital of Minas Gerais, Simões was also the creator of Trilhas de Futuroconsidered the largest technical course program in Brazil. The new governor formally took over the state after delivering his declaration of assets and signing the instrument of inauguration in the ALMG Plenary.
