Rio de Janeiro Public Defender Office Under Scrutiny After Salary Scandal, Names New Secretary

Acting governor Ricardo Couto appointed public defender Patricia Cardoso as the new Secretary of Development Social and Human Rights for Rio de Janeiro. Cardoso, the first woman to lead the state’s Defensoria Pública and former defender‑general, brings a background in consumer protection and civil coordination to the role.

A separate investigation revealed that the Defensoria Pública of Rio paid "supersalaries" of up to R$117,000 gross in recent months, far above the constitutional ceiling of R$46,000. Payments to defenders such as André Luiz de Felice Souza (R$104,000 gross) and others were disclosed through the institution’s transparency portal, which has not been updated since March. The office denied that the amounts constitute supersalaries, but the figures raise concerns about compliance with salary limits and transparency.