Who is he? He is the new minister of national integration under President Dilma Rousseff.
Why watch him? As integration minister, Bezerra Coelho is in charge of the reconstruction plans following the recent flood emergency in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. He hails from the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB), a minority partner in the ruling coalition. The PSB did well in the October general elections and on the back of that demanded a senior appointment in the new cabinet. Last week's floods caused over 600 deaths and an estimated US$1.2bn in material damages. The reconstruction efforts will be a baptism of fire for Bezerra Coelho and the PSB's political hopes in the new government may largely depend on his performance.
Born: 7 December 1957
Place of birth: Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Education: Bezerra Coelho graduated with a degree in administration from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in 1977.
Family: The Coelho family has dominated Pernambuco state politics for 50 years. His grandfather, Colonel Clementino 'Quelê' Coelho was the biggest merchant in the area and became the patriarch of the city. Seven of Quelê's sons later held various government offices at the state and national level. The most prominent was perhaps the former governor of Pernambuco (1967-1971) and senator (1979-1983), Nilo Coelho, Bezerra's uncle. One of Bezerra Coelho's four sons, Fernando Coelho Filho, has followed in the family's political footsteps and is currently a federal deputy for Pernambuco.
Timeline:
1982-1987: Elected state deputy in Pernambuco on the ticket of the Partido Democrático Social (PDS, now Partido Progressista PP), a right-wing party.
End of preview - This article contains approximately 815 words.
Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article
Not a Subscriber?
Choose from one of the following options
