Acre's Road Department Gets New President Amidst Managerial Turnover and Infrastructure Issues
The government of Acre has appointed civil engineer Sócrates José Guimarães as the new president of the Department of Roads, Hydrographic and Airport Infrastructure of Acre (Deracre). The appointment was published in an extraordinary edition of the Official State Gazette on Friday, June 3rd, and was signed by Governor Mailza Assis. This change comes shortly after the controversial departure of the previous president, Sula Ximenes, who resigned from her position for the second time this year. Ximenes had only returned to lead Deracre on May 26th, after a previous resignation in April to pursue a candidacy for state deputy. Her second departure, less than two months later, was accompanied by expressions of gratitude to Governor Assis but also included criticisms of the state government's management. Guimarães is not new to Deracre, having previously served as director of Ports and Airports and as interim president from September 2023 until March 2024. The transition occurs during a period of scrutiny following the collapse of the Frei Paolino Baldassari Bridge in Sena Madureira in early June, an incident that injured four people and is currently under investigation by the Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Acre. Alongside Ximenes, the then administrative and financial director of Deracre, Roberto Assaf de Oliveira, also left his post.
The rapid succession of leadership at Deracre, marked by the second resignation of Sula Ximenes within months and the subsequent appointment of Sócrates Guimarães, signals potential governance instability within the state's infrastructure agency. This turnover coincides with a significant infrastructure failure, the collapse of the Frei Paolino Baldassari Bridge, which is under official investigation. The situation highlights the critical interplay between administrative leadership, project oversight, and public safety in infrastructure development. Future assessments should consider how the new leadership navigates accountability for the bridge incident, addresses underlying structural or procedural issues, and fosters long-term stability to prevent recurrence, particularly in the context of Acre's ongoing development needs.
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