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| Gilberto Kassab | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gilberto Kassab |
| Birth date | 12 August 1960 |
| Birth place | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Occupation | Politician, Economist, Engineer |
| Alma mater | Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie |
| Party | Partido Social Democrático (PSD) |
| Offices | Mayor of São Paulo; Minister of Cities; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation; Minister of Communications |
Gilberto Kassab is a Brazilian politician and administrator known for serving as Mayor of São Paulo and holding multiple cabinet-level posts in federal administrations. A civil engineer and economist by training, he founded and leads the Partido Social Democrático (PSD), and has been influential in urban policy, telecommunications regulation, and federal urban development programs. His career spans municipal, state, and federal roles, connecting municipal governance in São Paulo with national initiatives under presidents and party leaders across Brazil.
Kassab was born in São Paulo and raised in a family of Lebanese descent, attending local schools in the São Paulo metropolitan area. He studied civil engineering at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, later completing postgraduate work in economics and public administration linked to institutions in São Paulo. Early influence came from municipal and state political figures in São Paulo politics and from Brazilian business circles connected to the Confederação Nacional da Indústria and municipal associations such as the Associação Brasileira de Municípios.
Kassab’s political trajectory began in local politics as a member of municipal councils and executive secretariats tied to the Prefeitura de São Paulo and the Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo. He rose through party structures of the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira and allied with leaders from the PSDB and PMDB on municipal coalitions. In 2005 he became vice-mayor of São Paulo and shortly thereafter assumed the mayoralty, forming alliances with national politicians including figures from the Brazilian Democratic Movement and the federal cabinet during presidential administrations of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and later Dilma Rousseff indirectly through municipal-federal interactions. In 2011 he founded the PSD, attracting deputies and senators from the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.
As mayor (2006–2012), Kassab implemented high-profile urban programs and regulatory reforms in São Paulo, interacting with urban planners from the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil and transportation experts from agencies such as Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo and SPTrans. His administration launched projects affecting public transit, road pricing debates, and municipal zoning, coordinating with state entities like the Secretaria da Fazenda do Estado de São Paulo and federal institutions including the Ministério das Cidades. Major initiatives involved investments in bus corridors, partnerships with private firms like CCR S.A. on infrastructure, and regulatory measures impacting advertising and public space enforcement in collaboration with Conselho Regional de Administração-linked groups.
Kassab joined the federal cabinet in multiple portfolios: as Minister of Cities, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Minister of Communications under presidents from major coalitions. In these roles he worked with national agencies such as the Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel), the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), and the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES). His tenure in communications coincided with debates on broadband expansion, interactions with telecom companies including Telefônica Brasil and Claro Brasil, and regulatory coordination with the Ministério da Justiça on digital policy.
Kassab promoted market-oriented approaches toward urban management, advocating public–private partnerships involving companies like Odebrecht and Eletrobras-linked consortia for infrastructure delivery. He supported fiscal management initiatives aligned with state-level finance secretariats and municipal treasury modernization programs supported by the Tribunal de Contas do Município de São Paulo. In communications and technology, he prioritized national broadband plans working with the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações and research institutions such as Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Estadual de Campinas for innovation networks. On housing and sanitation, he coordinated programs with the Caixa Econômica Federal and federal housing schemes instituted under the Minha Casa, Minha Vida framework.
Kassab’s career includes scrutiny related to municipal contracting, public works procurement, and relationships with construction firms implicated in wider investigations involving the Operação Lava Jato network and regional probes by state prosecutors such as the Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo. Allegations and inquiries examined procurement procedures, campaign finance practices involving national parties including the Partido dos Trabalhadores and the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, and municipal regulatory decisions. Legal challenges engaged judicial bodies like the Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo and electoral courts such as the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, producing administrative reviews and media coverage by outlets including Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, and GloboNews.
Kassab is married with children and maintains residences in São Paulo while participating in national political forums such as the National Congress interlocutions and municipal networks like the Prefeitos do Brasil associations. His legacy is debated among academics at institutions including Fundação Getulio Vargas and urbanists from the Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada regarding urban reforms, party realignment through the PSD creation, and impacts on telecom regulation. He continues to influence party strategy, municipal policy debates, and federal administrative appointments.
Category:Brazilian politicians Category:Mayors of São Paulo