Former Rio de Janeiro governor Cláudio Castro posted a video on social media to rebut a recent statement by federal deputy Otoni de Paula, who stated in an interview that "the right wing broke the state of Rio de Janeiro." The response reignites the political debate about the origins of the state's fiscal crisis.
In the video, Castro recounts that he came across the statement while browsing social media and decided to investigate the history of the state's debt. He questions the parliamentarian's assertion and cites previous governments to support his argument. "Congressman, study Rio de Janeiro. It was the left-wing governments that bankrupted Rio de Janeiro," he stated.
Former governor lists past administrations.
Throughout the recording, Castro mentions a series of state administrations, citing names such as Marcelo Alencar, Anthony Garotinho, Rosinha Matheus, Sérgio Cabral, and Luiz Fernando Pezão. According to him, these administrations cannot be classified as right-wing and contributed to the increase in indebtedness.
Castro also cites current state representative Luiz Paulo Corrêa da Rocha when mentioning debt renegotiations in the 1990s. According to the former governor, the state went from a debt of around R$ 20 billion to a more serious situation over the years, even after significant payments to the federal government.
Debt and fiscal recovery at the center of the debate.
The former governor also points out that, throughout the aforementioned period, the state paid R$ 153 billion in debts, but still accumulated a larger outstanding balance afterward. He also mentions the moment when Rio de Janeiro joined the fiscal recovery regime in 2017 as a turning point in the financial crisis.
"It was 20, he paid 153 and still owes 180," he said, arguing that the tax situation has worsened over the decades.
Castro also stated that, starting in 2017, the state had stopped taking out new loans. "From 2017 onwards, folks, nobody has taken out a loan again. Not a single one," he declared.
Militias enter the discussion.
In another excerpt, the former governor refers to the debate on public security and militias, citing the period depicted in the film Elite Squad 2. According to him, the problem already existed in previous governments, mentioning political leaders of the time such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Eduardo Paes.
The exchange of statements occurs amidst the state's political landscape, where the issue of public accounts and fiscal management remains one of the main points of contention among leaders.
🎥 POLITICS | In a video on social media, Cláudio Castro responds to Otoni de Paula's statement and presents his version of the historical indebtedness of the State of Rio.
— Agenda of Power (@agendadopoder) May 5, 2026
Credit: Reproduction / Social Networks pic.twitter.com/WsOjLNuj8z
Leave a comment