Choice of Ramagem for mayor of Rio generates impasse in PL

With General Braga Netto ineligible, former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) chose federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ) to head the race for mayor of Rio de Janeiro in 2024. The information was confirmed by the party president, Valdemar Costa Neto. However, members of the PL claim that the nomination is not a “hammer”.

The choice occurs amid the conviction of Braga Netto and Bolsonaro in the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which took place this Tuesday (31). By 5 votes to 2, the presidential ticket was condemned for the “electoral use” of the September 7, 2022 celebrations.

With the imminent conviction, according to Costa Neto, Bolsonaro would have chosen Ramagem last week. That is, before the trial. The decision was agreed with the governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro and, according to PL sources, the deputy’s positive performance in internal party polls would have motivated the choice.

Behind the scenes, the reading is that Costa Neto would have gone ahead in announcing Ramagem as the chosen one for the dispute. Asked about the party’s president’s statement, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) stated that the “hammer has not yet been hammered” on the matter and highlighted that the dispute for pre-candidacy is in the “primary” phase.

“The PL has good personnel to contest the municipal elections in Rio in 2024 and the hammer is not down yet. Delegate Ramagem, Portinho and Luiz Lima have already made their names available. As there are different profiles of pre-candidates, the way in which the decision will be made, everything well discussed and aligned, is as important as the name itself. If we emerge from this type of primaries with unity and without vanities, we will have a group of leaders in favor of a candidacy that has everything it needs to be victorious. We are going to present Rio residents with an innovative management program, especially in the areas of security, mobility and tourism”, said the senator.

He added that the party’s focus will be to elect councilors with ideological loyalty to the PL.

“The second step: party alliances, both for the nomination of PL vice president and for candidates from other parties, including names also on the right and conservatives. I defend that they happen not only for a healthy and critical debate on the current municipal management, but also to increase the number of elected councilors from the same ideological wing, since candidacies for mayor tend to make voters pay more attention to candidates from their respective parties. . It is very important to have a large and strong bench in the Rio City Council,” he said.

However, Bolsonaro’s preference seems to tend towards Ramagem. In a post on “X” (formerly Twitter), former minister Fabio Wajngarten stated that he will campaign for Ramagem’s candidacy. “From today onwards I’m campaigning for my friend Dr Ramagem @delegadoramagems. We will elect him,” he stated.

Undefined candidacy in Rio worries allies

The behind-the-scenes reading of Costa Neto’s statement is that the PL president had stepped forward to respond to an internal demand from the Rio de Janeiro directory. With less than a year to go before the municipal election, allies began to demand the party for a definition of the National Directory.

When seeking to know about Brasília’s position, a parliamentarian said that he was informed that the decision on the candidacy would be Bolsonaro’s exclusive decision. Initially, there was a wait regarding Braga Netto’s ineligibility. But, with the end of the year approaching, dissatisfaction with the lack of definition grew among members of the party in Rio.

Choice of Ramagem has Public Safety as its backdrop

Former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency in the Bolsonaro administration, Ramagem is seen as a candidate to oppose the current mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes (PSD), in the Public Security sector. With the wave of violence that hit the state, including the capital, the candidacy of a federal police officer could hit the Rio mayor at a fragile point, despite the area not being a constitutional responsibility of the municipality.

Last month, the city’s West Zone was struck by moments of terror after 35 buses were set on fire in one day. The acts of vandalism were retaliation for the death of the nephew of the leader of a criminal group.

Ramagem has avoided putting himself forward as a candidate. “If it’s me [o candidato a prefeito no Rio pelo PL], I go to the project. If it’s someone else, I’ll support it. Even when other names were already being considered, such as Braga Netto, among others, there was already an agreement for me to be responsible for designing the public security project. It’s an honor to have this trust, but the hammer hasn’t dropped yet and I’ll wait for the party’s decision. President Valdemar’s statement [Costa Neto] It’s a great sign, but my name still needs to be made official,” the deputy told People’s Gazette.

Furthermore, he said he was “at the service of Bolsonaro”. “I am at Bolsonaro’s service for any challenge. Whoever he chooses for mayor of Rio will be supported by the entire party and needs to be up to the job, he has to prepare. I will be in this endeavor in any role, always by his side and Valdemar. Of course, it would be an honor to be chosen by Bolsonaro,” the parliamentarian told the newspaper The globe.

The good relationship between the delegate and the former president dates back to 2020, when Bolsonaro tried to appoint Ramagem to command the Federal Police. The appointment, however, was blocked by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), after the PDT filed an injunction requesting suspension.

In the action, the PDT alleged misuse of purpose in the appointment, alleging that Bolsonaro’s intention in appointing the new head of the PF was to interfere in the corporation to protect himself and family members who would be the target of ongoing investigations.

In 2022, Ramagem ran for the position of federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro with 59,170 votes.

PL wants to elect a thousand mayors in 2024

Currently, the Liberal Party has 343 mayors and, according to Costa Neto, the objective is to elect approximately 1000 municipal managers in 2024. Bolsonaro has reinforced agendas in the states together with former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.

Furthermore, the former president reinforced party work by announcing pre-candidacies from allies, such as former Health Minister Eduardo Queiroga, who will be the party’s candidate for mayor of João Pessoa (PB).

Former Minister of Citizenship João Roma and former Minister of Tourism Gilson Machado are also working to confirm their candidacies in Salvador and Recife, respectively.