The re-elected mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes (photo), assumed his fourth term in a ceremony at the City Council, this Wednesday (1st). He proposed the creation of an armed Municipal Security Force. According to Paes, this municipal force will be complementary to the police forces. The working group to propose innovation is one of 46 decrees published today (1st) in the municipality’s Official Gazette to direct the beginning of the new mandate that runs until 2028.
“We understand that this force can provide firmer overt policing in less conflagrated areas of the city where territorial occupation or the monopoly of State force is not under discussion. I think that, when you have this extreme situation in which the State’s monopoly of force is under discussion, it is up to the public security forces, civil police and military police to carry out this confrontation and retake the territories”, said the mayor, in a press conference after inauguration.
He explained that the municipality of Rio will work in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice so that graduates of the Brazilian armed forces can be used to form the municipal security force.
He added that “despite advances at the municipal level, we know that Rio still faces one of the most serious public security crises in its history. It is necessary for the state government to assume its constitutional responsibility and act firmly to reduce crime rates, police the streets more efficiently and act to prevent the territorial expansion of drug trafficking and militias”, assured the mayor in his speech in possession.
A working group will also be created to present studies for the supply of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the drug Ozempic, in the municipal health network to combat obesity.
According to the decree, there are proven benefits of semaglutide in the treatment of obesity, including significant and sustainable weight loss, improvement of cardiometabolic risk factors and increased quality of life. “This is very important. Obesity must be seen from the point of view of public health. It is our desire that the poorest population have access to a medicine that those with minimal conditions are buying and using. It is a public policy against obesity so that we can improve the health indices of the Rio population, such as diabetes and heart problems”, highlighted Paes.
Municipal Guard
Another decree published today covers the creation of the Municipal Guard Refoundation Program with the aim of modernizing the institution and making it more efficient.
The project’s guidelines will be the organization of Municipal Guard operations into special groups and programs, following the operational and tactical standards of the BRT Seguro program; the strengthening of the Municipal Guard Internal Affairs, aiming to monitor the functional activities and conduct of municipal guards; the review of the list of duties and powers of the Municipal Guard; and the implementation of actions and initiatives to increase the Guard’s efficiency in fulfilling its duties and competencies.
“The idea is to have something aimed at the city’s squares and parks, for the defense of women, of the Maria da Penha group, looking at issues involving traffic”, highlighted the mayor.
In total, 46 decrees were divided into six major areas: policies aimed at security and civility; public policies; high performance management; spending efficiency; and reducing bureaucracy and the business environment. The guidelines determine the direction of the new government. Most form working groups to put new public policy projects into practice.
Before the mayor and his vice took office, the 51 councilors were inaugurated, of which 12 are women. The Rio parliament swore in 21 first-time councilors, renewing almost half of the 51 seats (45%).
Who is it
Eduardo da Costa Paes (PSD) is from Rio de Janeiro, married, 54 years old and graduated in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). This election marked the fourth time he was elected to Rio’s mayor’s office, becoming the person to hold the position the longest.
His political career began in 1993, at the age of 23, when he was appointed deputy mayor of West Zone I of Rio de Janeiro by his then political godfather and mayor, Cesar Maia.
In 1996, Eduardo Paes won his first elected position, obtaining a seat in the Rio City Council.
Two years later, he was elected federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro, being re-elected in 2002. In his second term, he took a leave of absence when he was appointed Secretary of the Environment of Rio de Janeiro’s city hall, under the command of Cesar Maia.
In 2007, he was appointed by the then governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral, state secretary of Tourism, Sports and Leisure.
Remarkable moments
His first elected position in the Executive Branch came with the 2008 election, when he was elected mayor of Rio de Janeiro, being re-elected in 2012.
Paes’ second term at the helm of the capital of Rio de Janeiro was marked by historic moments such as Rio+20 (2012), the World Cup (2014) and the Olympic Games (2016).
After leaving city hall, Paes worked as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in Washington (2017), and president for Latin America at BYD, one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the world (2018).
The politician tried to become governor in the 2018 election, but was defeated in the second round by Wilson Witzel. In 2006, he had also tried to reach the Guanabara Palace, when he finished in fifth place.
In 2020, he was elected for his third term as head of Rio’s city hall, at the time affiliated with the Democrats party, being re-elected for a fourth term on October 6, 2024. In this way, he surpasses Cesar Maia, who spent 12 years in the position.
The mayor ran for re-election with the coalition It’s the River Moving Forwardformed by the parties Solidariedade, Podemos, Avante, Agir, PDT, PSB, PRD, DC and the PT/PV/PCdoB Federation. Paes was re-elected in the first round with more than 1.80 million votes, which corresponds to 60.47% of the valid total.
*Article changed at 4:19 pm to change title
