Rio de Janeiro Governor Ricardo Couto reshuffles agencies and seeks debt relief via Propag

Acting Governor Ricardo Couto of Rio de Janeiro announced a broad reorganization of the state administration, effecting 15 appointments and dismissals in strategic areas such as public safety, infrastructure, environmental protection, social security and internal control. Notable changes include appointing Gabryela Reis Dantas as head of the Department of Roads (DER‑RJ), new senior roles in the Military Police, and new directors at the State Pension Institute and the State Environment Agency.

Couto also traveled to Brasília to meet Finance Minister Darío Durigan, aiming to sign Rio's accession to the Program of Full Payment of State Debts (Propag) by the end of the month. The state projects a R$19 billion budget shortfall this year and carries over R$203.3 billion in debt to the Union. Negotiations could lower monthly payments from an estimated R$436 million to R$119 million and extend the repayment horizon to 30 years. Couto highlighted the possibility of using a R$20 billion credit with Petrobras to accelerate debt settlement and said the Union is “seeing the effort” the state is making. He also reported that Rio is pursuing the recovery of roughly R$1.4 billion of investments made by the Rio Pension Fund, out of more than R$3 billion placed with a private bank.