Paraná Governor Ratinho Jr. (PSD) prioritized a coastal security operation launch on Friday (19), skipping President Lula's inauguration of the Brazil-Paraguay bridge in Foz do Iguaçu. The decision drew behind-the-scenes complaints about the federal government's scheduling, echoing prior tensions over an access road.
Paraná Governor Ratinho Jr. (PSD), seen as a 2026 presidential contender, maintained his coastal itinerary on Friday (19) instead of attending President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's ceremony inaugurating the new 760-meter bridge from Foz do Iguaçu to Presidente Franco, Paraguay—a project delayed for over 30 years despite completion in 2022.
Ratinho Jr. cited a pre-scheduled launch of Operation Summer, deploying 2,000 security agents during the holidays. "It wouldn't sit well with my conscience to put on the back burner the men and women of the security forces who left their homes... to protect the people of Paraná," he said. The event was set 22 days prior.
State officials privately criticized the federal choice of Friday for the inauguration, suggesting it could have aligned with Saturday's Mercosul summit in the city. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, absent from Lula's event due to family issues, also expressed discomfort and plans a separate Saturday ceremony.
The snub follows last week's clash over the East Perimetral access road, a state project. Federal agencies (DNIT and Highway Police) opposed its opening over signage issues, but Ratinho authorized it anyway, noting Itaipu funding. Lula referenced this haste during his glitch-interrupted speech at the bridge event.
