Douglas Ruas, candidate for governor of Rio de Janeiro for the PL party, tried to distance himself from Cláudio Castro, the former governor from the same party, during a forum held by radio station CBN and newspapers O GLOBO and Valor Econômico. Ruas stated that he has had no contact with Castro since he left office in March, and argued that he is not responsible for the former governor's actions, saying he was merely an employee who followed orders.
During the interview, Ruas discussed various topics such as public security, corruption, urban mobility, economy, and education. He also commented on the controversial decision to invest Rioprevidência funds in Banco Master, saying that this decision went through former governor Castro.
Ruas launched direct attacks on Eduardo Paes, from the PSD party, his main adversary in the electoral race. The PL candidate even stated that Paes would be a "drinking buddy" of Cláudio Castro, trying to link his main competitor to the former governor amid his attempt to distance himself from him.
Douglas Ruas was a secretary to Cláudio Castro during his term. The forum is part of a series of interviews with candidates for governor of Rio de Janeiro promoted by the media outlets.
