Being born Caiado in Goiás is a good start. The former governor (PSD) left his post, but at least 10 of his relatives remained in commissioned positions.
In total, 50 Caiados appear on the state payroll in March — adding up their salaries, they amount to more than R$650,000 per month. The group includes retired, retired, pensioners, permanent, temporary and commissioned employees. If we consider family members with other surnames, it grows even more.
The report filtered 10 commissioned relatives, who are employees freely appointed by an authority to carry out management, leadership or advisory functions, without the need for a public competition, in addition to three family members allocated to an entity that has a partnership with the state.
Of the 10 names identified by the report, 9 are cousins and 1 is the husband of the former governor’s cousin.
Adriano da Rocha Lima, Caiado’s cousin, is one of them. Advisor at the Institutional Relations Secretariat, he is tipped to be vice-president on the ticket of the current governor of Goiás, Daniel Vilela (), who took over after Caiado launched his campaign for the PSD.
Like others on the list, Lima argues that he is a distant cousin of the presidential candidate. “I don’t even know how to tell what the degree of kinship is,” he says. Another example is cousin Andrea Parrode da Rocha Lima Dantas, chief of staff at the State Secretariat for Sport and Leisure.
Juliana Ramos Caiado, cousin of the former governor, is a special advisor at the State Secretariat for Social Development.
Paulo Henrique Caiado Canedo, also a cousin, is an advisor to the CAT (Tax Administrative Council), linked to the State Secretariat for the Economy, and an advisor to the Legislative Assembly of Goiás.
Another cousin, Jorge Luiz Ramos Caiado Júnior, is chief of staff at the State Secretariat for Administration.
Ronaldo Caiado states that “all the hirings mentioned were previously analyzed by the State Attorney General’s Office and are in full compliance with current legislation and with binding summary no. 13, of the (Supreme Federal Court)”.
For experts, the cases investigated fall into loopholes in the law that classifies , because cousins are considered 4th degree relatives, but it is possible to question the behavior in court. To be considered nepotism, the appointment must be of spouses, partners and relatives up to the 3rd degree in positions of trust or commission positions.
Another loophole exploited by the governor was the appointment of a person linked to the family in the so-called first-level political position, such as secretaries in state governments. In this type of position, you already understand that there may be a .
During Caiado’s government, Cesar Augusto de Sotkeviciene Moura, married to a cousin of the politician, was placed in charge of the State Secretariat for Resumption. The report tried to speak to Moura, who did not respond.
According to experts in administrative law Leandro Mello Frota, member of the IAB (Institute of Brazilian Lawyers), and Manoel Peixinho, professor at PUC-Rio, even within the exceptions provided for by law, cases can generate legal action under the argument of violation of constitutional principles of morality, impersonality and efficiency.
“We are talking about public money and important functions for the life of society. It is important to look at the attitudes of the ruler, who, although they are not, in the first instance, practicing nepotism, may be violating other principles of the Constitution”, says Mello Frota.
On the payroll of OVG (Organização das Voluntárias de Goiás), a non-profit entity that has a partnership with the government of Goiás, is the wife of Caiado’s cousin and two nephews of former first lady Gracinha Caiado.
The entity received, in the last amendment, 70% more in transfers from the State, compared to the previous year. There was a jump from R$434 million in the budget for the period from July 2024 to June 2025 to R$738 million from July 2025 to June 2026.
Until the 31st, the honorary presidency of the organization was held by Gracinha, now a pre-candidate for the . The position is voluntary and unpaid.
One of Gracinha’s nieces, Roberta Wendorf de Carvalho, is a director at OVG and receives R$28,739.50.
The second nephew is Décio Agrário Calazans Wendorf de Carvalho, who is listed as a special advisor at OVG, with a salary of R$19,480.67. He is also a member of the board of the State Department of Transit, with a salary of R$4,800.
The general director of OVG is the responsibility of Adryanna Leonor Melo de Oliveira Caiado, with a salary of R$40,500, who is married to a cousin of the former governor.
Adryanna also chairs the board of directors of the Companhia de Investimentos e Parcerias do Estado de Goiás, Goiás Parcerias, which is a mixed capital company linked to the state, with remuneration of R$17,300 per month. At Saneago, a sanitation company, she is an administrative advisor, with a salary of R$9,800. In total, she receives R$67,600 per month.
In a statement, OVG states that Adryanna’s name was approved by the organization’s board of directors and that, under her management, the entity experienced historic growth. The director states that “she has almost 30 years of public service in Goiás” and that her training and experience “in the State were determining factors for occupying the general directorate of OVG and positions on the two councils”.
Gracinha says that, during the period in which she was honorary president of OVG, she “led the largest program to overcome poverty in the history of Goiás”. In partnership with the state, the entity carries out social programs such as food distribution and shelter for pregnant women, children and the elderly.
Caiado also states that “all the civil servants mentioned perform their duties regularly, have technical qualifications compatible with the positions they occupy and carry out their duties without any irregularity or harm to public administration”.
Ronaldo Caiado’s relatives in government
1- Adriano da Rocha Lima, cousin: advisor at the Institutional Relations Secretariat
2- Andrea Parrode da Rocha Lima Dantas, cousin: chief of staff at the State Secretariat for Sport and Leisure
3- Antonio Lopes Xavier Nunes, cousin: advisor at the State Secretariat of Public Security
4- Cesar Augusto de Sotkeviciene Moura, cousin’s husband: Secretary of State at the Secretariat of State for Resumption
5- Jorge Luiz Ramos Caiado Júnior, cousin: Chief of Staff at the Secretariat of State for Administration
6- Juliana Ramos Caiado, cousin: special advisor at the State Secretariat for Social Development
7- Leoni di Ramos Caiado Neto, cousin: superintendent of Social Reintegration and Citizenship of the Criminal Police
8- Marlon Antonio Santos Ramos Caiado, cousin: special advisor to the governorship
9- Patricia Mundim Caiado, cousin: advisor at the State Department of Health
10- Paulo Henrique Caiado Canedo, cousin: advisor to the CAT (Tax Administrative Council), linked to the State Secretariat for the Economy, and advisor to the Legislative Assembly of Goiás
Relatives of Gracinha and Caiado at OVG
1- Adryanna Leonor Melo de Oliveira Caiado, married to Caiado’s cousin: general director of OVG, chairs the board of directors of Goiás Parcerias and is an administrative advisor at Saneago
2- Roberta Wendorf de Carvalho, niece of Gracinha Caiado: director at OVG
3- Décio Agrário Calazans Wendorf de Carvallho, nephew of Gracinha Caiado: special advisor at OGV and member of the board of the State Department of Traffic
Evelyn Aires, Iran Alves, Gabriel Serpa, Guilherme Matos, Malu Araujo, Mariana Grasso and Richard Henrique collaborated
