VZCZCXRO6899
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHRI #0300/01 3021621
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281621Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4682
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1013
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 5203
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 3472

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIO DE JANEIRO 000300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV BR
SUBJECT: RIO DE JANEIRO MAYOR-ELECT'S PLANS FOR THE CITY 
 
REF: BRASILIA 1414 
 
¶1.  As reported in reftel, former Rio de Janeiro State Secretary for 
Sports and Tourism Eduardo Paes (PMDB Party) won the October 26 
run-off election for Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, edging out Fernando 
Gabeira (Green Party - PV) by less than one percentage point. 
Endorsements by Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral and President 
Lula helped him get elected but have also set up expectations that 
Paes will be able to unite city, state and federal resources to 
revitalize the city of Rio de Janeiro.  Highlights from his platform 
follow below.  It remains to be seen how Mayor-elect Paes will 
prioritize these issues in his administration. 
 
PUBLIC SECURITY AND CRIME 
 
¶2.  Combating Rio's declining public security situation is a state 
responsibility, rather than a municipal one.  Paes will likely defer 
to his close friend and ally Governor Cabral on operational 
security, choosing to focus more on the optics as it relates to the 
city's reputation and public image.  He will control a small unarmed 
patrol force of Municipal Guard officers, who are most visible in 
tourist areas, and for whom he has advocated for additional 
equipment and training resources.  He promises additional remote 
cameras in highly trafficked areas, especially around Copacabana 
Beach, and has pledged resources to protect the elderly and gay 
communities in particular. 
 
SOCIAL PROJECTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 
 
¶3.  Mayor-elect Paes wants to expand the federal government's PAC 
(Program to Accelerate Growth) program to the poorer areas in Rio's 
north.  In addition, he has pledged to partner with private industry 
as well as the state and federal governments on an ambitious housing 
and urban development plan.  Paes proposes to spend USD 25 million 
per year on construction of public housing to relocate people from 
Rio's shantytown favelas, allocate additional funds to existing 
social projects in favelas, re-zone abandoned industrial areas for 
residential use, and build additional homeless shelters.  He has 
identified the neighborhoods around the Maracana sports arena and 
the port complex as priorities for urban revitalization. 
 
HEALTH 
 
¶4.  The new mayor plans to expand the city's pilot program of 
community health care centers.  He proposes to build 40 additional 
centers, especially in the city's poorer north area.  He plans to 
allocate resources to renovate existing municipal hospitals, upgrade 
equipment, and hire additional health care professionals.  Also, he 
proposes 5 new rehabilitation centers for the physically 
handicapped, 20 new centers for elderly people, and 3 new centers to 
treat obesity.  Recognizing that another dengue fever epidemic 
threatens Rio de Janeiro this year, he is calling for a Dengue Fever 
Task Force to improve the city's emergency response plan. 
 
EDUCATION 
 
¶5.  A popular Paes campaign proposal was the elimination of the 
city's current policy in public schools to automatically promote 
students to the next grade regardless of performance.  Paes promises 
to increase resources for teacher salaries and training, and to fund 
more technical/vocational training and sports programs as 
after-school alternatives for children.   He also proposes to 
provide free public transportation for students, increase the number 
of city-run day care centers, and create a Municipal Fun to support 
to support educational research. 
 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
¶6.  Public transportation reform was one of Paes' main issues on the 
campaign trail.  He is proposing significant changes to improve the 
city's congested transportation system and expand service to the 
outer suburbs.  His plan includes a proposal to regulate pirated 
taxi/van services which are believed to play a role in funding 
organized criminal activity.  In particular, Paes appears focused on 
linking the poorer west and north areas of the city (his political 
base) to the downtown and affluent southern neighborhoods where many 
of those community members work.  To accomplish this, he is 
proposing to reorganize and re-license the city's 400-plus bus 
routes, augmenting them with regulated van service.  Most 
significantly, Paes proposes to institute a single fare system which 
would include all transfers within a certain time period.  He 
supports the state government's plan to extend one of the metro 
lines, and wants to invest USD 500 million in additional lines to 
expand service to the city's outer suburbs in the west.  He has 
promised a renovated fleet of handicap accessible and fuel efficient 
trains and buses. 
 
TOURISM, CULTURE AND SPORTS EVENTS 
 
RIO DE JAN 00000300  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7.  From his recent position as State Secretary for Sports and 
Tourism, Paes has a solid understanding of the city's reliance on 
tourism revenue.  He will offer incentives for companies to build 
and operate hotels, especially in the growing area of Barra da 
Tijuca in the city's west. He plans to privatize administration of 
Rio's new performing arts center, currently under construction at a 
cost of USD 400 million, and schedule up to twelve major cultural 
events in Rio per month.  He has pledged to continue the current 
model for managing the city's Carnival festivities.  Mayor-elect 
Paes also sees himself at the forefront of Rio's public relations 
initiative, serving as the city's primary lobbying to major event 
and sporting competition organizers.  This role will be important in 
alleviating concerns about declining public security, given the 
city's preparations to host the 2014 World Cup Finals and its bid to 
host the 2016 Olympics. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶8.  This election was the closest in Rio de Janeiro's history, with 
Eduardo Paes winning by just 55,225 votes.  It highlights the 
political and economic divide between the different areas of the 
city.  For example, Gabeira won the city's affluent south zone by a 
decisive margin, as well as the areas in the city's north and 
center.  Paes won the city's highly populated poorer west zone.  He 
also received support from the protestant churches and some of the 
catholic community, with the help of Senator Francisco Dornelles. 
 
¶9.  In total, around 1 million people (20 percent of registered 
voters) didn't go to the polls, and Paes likely benefited from the 
low voter turnout.  Allegations have surfaced that Governor Cabral 
purposefully declared the Monday following election Sunday as a 
public holiday rather than the actual day (two days later) to 
encourage some potential Gabeira voters to take advantage of the 
long weekend to travel, and thus not vote.  Paes' victory was slim, 
but Rio residents appear willing to give him a chance to prove that 
he can transform his endorsements from Governor Cabral and President 
Lula into more state and federal resources for the city. 
 
MARTINEZ