Brasília, 9 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The secretary for Economic Rights at the Ministry of Justice, - Paulo de Tarso Ramos Ribeiro, is the new minister of Justice, substituting Miguel Reale Júnior who resigned.

According to presidential spokesman, Alexandre Parola, president Fernando Henrique Cardoso was caught by surprise when Reale Junior resigned yesterday after Geraldo Brindeiro, the government's chief prosecutor, announced that there would be no federal intervention in the state of Espirito Santo.

The Ministry of Justice, through its Human Rights Council (CDDPH), had recommended the intervention and Brindeiro had initially declared that he was also in favor of intervention.

However, after further examination of the matter, citing political and legal problems, saying that with elections only six months away there was no time for the intervention to go into effect, Brindeiro decided to shelve the measure. (AB)