(ATR) One of the longest serving members of the Brazilian Sports Ministry was replaced on Nov. 17.
Ricardo Leyser, the now former executive secretary of the sports ministry, was replaced by Marcos Jorge de Lima in a political shakeup. Lima is a member of the Brazilian Republican Party (PRB), like Sports Minister George Hilton, while Leyser was a member of the Communist Party.
Lima was promoted from the Secretary of Culture in the state of Roraima to the position.
Leyser had been in the sports ministry since 2003 and had helped with coordinating the federal government’s budget for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, and played major roles in organizing the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Requests for comment on the situation from the Brazilian Ministry of Sport were not returned.
The move has been viewed by the Brazilian media as purely political, given president Dilma Rousseff’s need for support from the 20 deputies from the Brazilian Republican Party. Rousseff has been facing incredibly low approval ratings in Brazil, with regular protests against her government taking place all over the country.
George Hilton replaced Aldo Rebelo, another member of the Communist Party, as Sports Minister in Dec. 2014despite having little experience in sports. Since the change many of the top officials in the sports ministry were replaced by members of the PRB except for Leyser.
Members of the Rio 2016 organizing committee said to Around the Rings that "of course we will miss Ricardo," but welcomed the new appointment.
"Well we received this message the same time as you, but we have the faith that the ministry of sport will give us the same support since the candidature," Gustavo Nascimento, venue management director for Rio 2016, told ATR.
"We feel for losing Ricardo, but we have the faith that the ministry of sport will keep the same support that we have."
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes was not available for comment on the developments.
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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