Minas Gerais Governor Simões removes ex-secretary Marcelo Aro from cabinet

Governor Mateus Simões of Minas Gerais announced that Marcelo Aro, the former state secretary of government, will leave the administration. Simões accused Aro of spending “four years parasitizing” the state government to build a personal political project and said Aro had been negotiating a 2026 gubernatorial candidacy that would place him in direct competition with the governor.

The split follows a broader reshuffle of the coalition: Aro’s exit reduces the influence of União Brasil and the PP within Simões’ team, alters the allocation of commissioned positions, and may affect alliances with smaller parties such as Podemos and Republicanos. Political allies described the move as a “stab,” and it could reshape the succession scenario ahead of the next state elections.