Ex-PL Senator Romário confirms presence at Eduardo Paes' motorcade in Rio

Senator Romário, recently departed from the PL party and now unaffiliated, will join former Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) for a motorcade in Baixada Fluminense on Sunday. Romário informed PL president Valdemar Costa Neto on Thursday that he would support Paes for governor of Rio, rather than the state representative Douglas Ruas (PL).

On Friday, Romário surprised Costa Neto by also announcing his resignation from the party. Reports indicate that the PL's Rio de Janeiro city president, Bruno Bonetti, who is Romário's first alternate, attempted to persuade him to remain with the party throughout the day without success. The senator submitted his resignation letter that evening.

In a statement released Saturday, Romário's press office confirmed he "will remain without a party" and that "there are no ongoing conversations for a new affiliation." The former football star is midway through his Senate term and is not seeking re-election. Paes has the backing of Lula (PT), while Ruas is supported by Flávio Bolsonaro (PL).

Romário stated that while he does not agree with Paes on everything, he believes the former Rio mayor possesses "the best conditions to govern the state." He added, "I believe he [Paes] currently has the best conditions to govern the state, build solutions, and confront problems that have persisted for many years and that no governor has managed to solve to date. My choice is made, and I will publicly support him."