The people of Rio don't deserve to be governed by militia members
Em um país onde a violência urbana há muito desafia as fronteiras entre poder federal e estadual, o presidente Lula escolheu um evento de saúde pública no Rio de Janeiro para entregar uma mensagem que vai além da política: o povo quer justiça, não concreto. Dirigindo-se ao governador interino Ricardo Couto, Lula nomeou o problema com clareza histórica — milícias e crime organizado que há anos governam territórios que deveriam pertencer ao Estado — e fixou um prazo moral para que o novo gestor demonstre que a ordem pública ainda é possível. A cena revela uma tensão estrutural do federalismo brasileiro: a vontade federal esbarra nos limites constitucionais, e a solução aguarda aprovação no Senado.
- Lula foi direto ao ponto: o Rio não precisa de viadutos nem praias artificiais enquanto milícias e facções controlam seu território.
- Couto assume o governo em caráter interino, com autoridade contestada e um prazo de seis a dez meses para entregar o que governadores anteriores não conseguiram em uma década.
- A Constituição de 1988 amarra as mãos do governo federal — sem a aprovação da PEC 18/25 no Senado, a capacidade de intervenção direta na segurança estadual permanece restrita.
- O presidente prometeu apoio federal total, mas deixou implícito que esse apoio tem condição: Couto precisa usar o tempo para prender, não para construir.
- O relógio corre, a população fluminense observa, e o discurso de Lula transformou a segurança pública em critério único de julgamento do governo interino.
No sábado, durante a inauguração de um centro de tecnologia em saúde na Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, o presidente Lula aproveitou o palco para enviar uma mensagem direta ao governador interino do Rio, Ricardo Couto: a prioridade não é infraestrutura, é prender. Com linguagem sem rodeios, o presidente nomeou o problema que assombra o estado há anos — o controle territorial exercido por milícias e pelo crime organizado — e deixou claro que esse é o único critério pelo qual o governo Couto será julgado. Seis a dez meses, disse Lula. É o tempo disponível para fazer o que muitos não fizeram em uma década.
A fala revelou também os limites estruturais do federalismo brasileiro. A Constituição de 1988 restringe a atuação direta do governo federal em matérias de segurança estadual, e os governadores frequentemente se veem reféns de forças policiais que não controlam plenamente. Para avançar, Lula aponta para a PEC 18/25, já aprovada pela Câmara e aguardando o Senado, que criaria um novo Ministério da Segurança Pública e ampliaria a autoridade federal no combate ao crime organizado.
Couto chegou ao cargo em abril, após decisão do ministro do STF Cristiano Zanin que o manteve como governador interino até que a corte delibere sobre eleições para um mandato executivo temporário. Sua posição é provisória e sua autoridade, contestada. Agora, em praça pública, o presidente definiu suas prioridades — e o Rio inteiro ficou sabendo.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stood at the opening of a health technology center at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday and delivered a direct message to the state's interim governor, Ricardo Couto: forget about building viaducts or artificial beaches. The people of Rio want one thing—arrests.
Lula's words were blunt. He told Couto that residents expect him to work toward imprisoning the thieves and militia members who have run the state for years. He named the problem plainly: organized crime has taken territory, factions have taken territory, and Rio—the most famous city in the world—cannot be allowed to remain in their grip. The president framed the task as urgent and specific. Couto has six to ten months, Lula said, to do what many others failed to accomplish in a decade. The implicit message was clear: this is the measure by which his governorship will be judged.
The president's remarks reflected a broader frustration with Rio's security crisis and a recognition of structural limits in how federal power can address it. Under Brazil's 1988 Constitution, the federal government has limited direct authority over state-level security matters. Governors often find themselves trapped by their dependence on state police forces they cannot fully control. Lula acknowledged this constraint and offered a path forward: the Senate must approve Constitutional Amendment 18/25, already passed by the Chamber of Deputies, which would create a new Ministry of Public Security and clarify the federal government's role in fighting organized crime.
Lula promised Couto the full backing of the federal government, but the conditional nature of that support was evident. The president was essentially saying: we will help you, but only if you use the time you have to pursue the criminals who have held this state hostage. He emphasized that Rio deserves better than to be governed by militia members, that its people merit a state that functions as something other than a territory controlled by organized factions.
Couto himself is a recent arrival to the governor's office. In April, Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled that Couto, who serves as president of Rio's Court of Justice, should remain as interim governor until the court decides on elections for a temporary executive mandate. His position is provisional, his authority contested, and now his priorities have been set by the president himself in public remarks that left no room for misinterpretation.
The speech captured a moment of federal-state tension and alignment. Lula is pushing for constitutional change to expand federal capacity in security matters, but he is also demanding that the state actor on the ground—Couto—deliver results within the existing framework. The clock is running. The people of Rio are watching. And the president has made clear that infrastructure projects will not satisfy them.
Notable Quotes
Work to arrest all the thieves who governed this state and the deputies who are part of organized militia— President Lula to Governor Couto
Rio de Janeiro, the most famous city in the world, cannot be allowed to remain under the control of organized crime and factions— President Lula
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Lula choose this moment, at a health technology event, to deliver what amounts to a performance review of the governor?
Because the audience matters. He was speaking to Rio residents as much as to Couto. He needed to signal that the federal government sees the crisis, names it, and is demanding action. The venue was almost beside the point.
But Couto is interim. He's not elected. Does Lula expect real results in six to ten months from someone in that position?
That's the tension. Couto has no mandate and limited time, but Lula is treating him as if he does. It's a way of saying: your legitimacy depends entirely on what you accomplish against organized crime. Nothing else matters.
The president kept mentioning this constitutional amendment. Why is that so important?
Because without it, the federal government's hands are tied. States control their own police. A governor can be captured by those forces or by the criminals they're supposed to fight. The amendment would let the federal government step in directly. Lula is saying: I want to help, but I need the Senate to give me the tools.
What happens if Couto doesn't deliver?
Then he becomes a symbol of failure. And Lula has already positioned himself as having offered everything—federal support, constitutional reform, a clear mandate. If it doesn't work, the blame falls on the state, not the federal government.