José Alencar
Encyclopedia
José Alencar Gomes da Silva (ʒoˈzɛ alẽˈkaʁ ˈɡomis dɐ ˈsiɫvɐ; 17 October 1931 – 29 March 2011), also known as José Alencar, the Strong, was a Brazilian
businessman and politician, and the Vice President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010. In business since a young age, Alencar was a self-made multimillionaire, as the chief executive of Coteminas, after working as travelling salesman and in failed food
wholesale start-ups. He turned his family's small clothes factory and retail store into a leading textile manufacturer in his country, producing goods for traditional brands in its portfolio, such as Artex, Santista and Calfat, and vying for dominance of the global market after a merger with South Carolina
-based Springs Industries. In the 1990s, Alencar groomed his son to succeed him at the company, and opted to enter politics in his home state, Minas Gerais
.
Alencar had a business-oriented political platform, advocating market liberalization and deregulation
of production
. His expensive political campaigns received hefty funds from Coteminas. After a failed run in 1994 for governor of Minas Gerais, he won the election for the Senate of Brazil
, representing his home state, in 1998. In 2002, Alencar was invited by the left-wing Worker's Party to run for Vice President, on the same ticket as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
. The alliance between the leftist union leader and Alencar, an experienced entrepreneur, proved successful. They won the presidential elections in 2002
and were re-elected in 2006
. Over the years, Lula da Silva and Alencar developed a close and affectionate friendship. Diagnosed with cancer of the stomach
and kidney
in 1997, Alencar succumbed to the disease in 2011.
Alencar came to be revered among journalists and politicians for his spirited posture and friendly demeanor. He overcame his lack of formal education, arguing vehemently in favor of less taxes, especially indirect taxation over consumers, and a simpler tax system; lower interest rates and greater oversight of the banking industry; and social welfare and assistance programs. As Vice President, Alencar sometimes spoke out against his own government's orthodox policies, causing embarrassment for fellow administration members. His unwavering determination to live in the face of terminal cancer also marked public perception, during and after his time in office.
Alencar was born into a family of small entrepreneurs from Muriaé
, in the inland state of Minas Gerais
on 17 October 1931. He was the eleventh son of Antônio Gomes da Silva and Dolores Peres Gomes da Silva. He started working while still a child, dropping out of primary school to help his father in the family business, and then worked with his brothers until he became a successful businessman on his own. In 1967, Alencar founded Coteminas, which would become one of Brazil's largest textile manufacturers. In 2002, he left the presidency of the company, by then a leading player with roughly 850 million reais
in yearly net sales, to his son Josué Gomes da Silva, in order to run for Vice President of Brazil.
In July 2010, retired teacher Rosemary de Morais was recognized in court as the daughter of José Alencar. Alencar refused to undergo parental testing, but, according to Brazilian law
12.004/2009, this refusal is accepted as evidence of paternity
. The legal case over Morais's parentage is still ongoing. Alencar had other children: one son, Josué, and two daughters, Maria da Graça and Patrícia.
Before being elected for the Senate
in 1998, Alencar ran for governor of Minas Gerais in 1994. While in the Senate, José Alencar worked on several Commissions, including the Senatorial Commission for Economic and Social Matters. In 2002 he was tapped to be Lula's running mate, in an effort to assuage worries about the candidate's alleged anti-business bias. He was the honorary President of center-right Liberal Party
, but left his party at the end of 2005 to associate himself with the new Brazilian Republican Party
.
In office, Alencar stood alongside another successful businessman in the cabinet, Luiz Fernando Furlan, to channel the demands of Brazilian businessmen against the government. Thus, they came to voice discontent over bureaucracy, insufficient infrastructure and cautious monetary policy
. His efforts led to the strengthening of Apex-Brasil, a pro-export agency seen as instrumental in the Brazilian economy
's recent rise in exports.
Alencar was the most notable person in government to openly complain of the conservative
monetary policies of the Brazilian Central Bank, under Henrique Meirelles
, backed by ministers Antonio Palocci
and Paulo Bernardo
. He often criticized his own administration for failing to lower the Central Bank's base interest rates and demanded a reform of the country's tax system. In November 2004 he was sworn in as Defense Minister
, following the resignation of José Viegas Filho
. Lula turned to him to occupy a vacant position for which the President found no better-suited candidate. Alencar tried to resign on several occasions, claiming that a businessman would hardly be the best choice for running a nation's military forces
. Nevertheless, President Lula convinced him to stay until March 2006, when Alencar did resign his ministerial post, in favor of anti-graft activist Waldir Pires
.
Despite his disagreements with some policies of the Lula administration, Alencar was officially invited by Lula to once again be his running mate in the 2006 general elections. With Lula's re-election victory on 29 October, Alencar secured his position as Vice President for another term. Alencar then adopted a lower tone, while still espousing his traditional positions. He sought to run for the Senate in 2010, but was forced to give up due to the advanced stage of his cancer disease.
, José Alencar was diagnosed with stomach
and kidney cancer
in 1997. After undergoing treatment for some length of time, he had his right kidney and two-thirds of his stomach surgically removed. Five years later, a malignant tumor in his prostate
was removed. However, the disease continued to spread, and in 2006 doctors discovered a sarcoma
in his abdomen
. On 26 January 2009, a surgery extirpated eight tumors, along with compromised portions of his small
and large intestine
and the ureter
s. He was treated for digestive hemorrhage in December 2010 with an urgent surgery, his last as Vice President; though doctors could not remove the tumors present in Alencar's abdomen, because of the number of surgeries to which he had been subjected – eighteen in all. Alencar received chemotherapy
for many years. He was mostly attended at Hospital Sírio-Libanês
, in São Paulo
, and also received experimental treatment at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Alencar died in March 2011, in the city of São Paulo
, after 13 years battling recurrent malignant tumor
s. His death was met with expressions of grief and respect by members of different institutions and across the political spectrum – former President Lula said he knew "few men with José Alencar's goodness and spirit" and President Rousseff said it was an "honor" to have served alongside him. Brazil held a state funeral
for José Alencar, and Vice President Michel Temer
decreed seven days of official mourning. Alencar is remembered as an honest and independent politician who favored social welfare and economic freedom
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
businessman and politician, and the Vice President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010. In business since a young age, Alencar was a self-made multimillionaire, as the chief executive of Coteminas, after working as travelling salesman and in failed food
Food industry
The food production is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population...
wholesale start-ups. He turned his family's small clothes factory and retail store into a leading textile manufacturer in his country, producing goods for traditional brands in its portfolio, such as Artex, Santista and Calfat, and vying for dominance of the global market after a merger with South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
-based Springs Industries. In the 1990s, Alencar groomed his son to succeed him at the company, and opted to enter politics in his home state, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
.
Alencar had a business-oriented political platform, advocating market liberalization and deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of production
Production (economics)
In economics, production is the act of creating 'use' value or 'utility' that can satisfy a want or need. The act may or may not include factors of production other than labor...
. His expensive political campaigns received hefty funds from Coteminas. After a failed run in 1994 for governor of Minas Gerais, he won the election for the Senate of Brazil
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
, representing his home state, in 1998. In 2002, Alencar was invited by the left-wing Worker's Party to run for Vice President, on the same ticket as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
. The alliance between the leftist union leader and Alencar, an experienced entrepreneur, proved successful. They won the presidential elections in 2002
Brazilian presidential election, 2002
Although Luis Inácio "Lula" da Silva won the most votes in the first round, he did not manage to obtain majority of valid votes . This led the presidential election to a second round, which Lula won with 61.3% of valid votes....
and were re-elected in 2006
Brazilian presidential election, 2006
The Brazilian general elections of 2006 were held in two rounds. The first one happened on October 1, in which eligible voters chose all members of the Chamber of Deputies, one-third of the Federal Senate, and members of the Legislative Assemblies of the 26 states and the Federal District...
. Over the years, Lula da Silva and Alencar developed a close and affectionate friendship. Diagnosed with cancer of the stomach
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
and kidney
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
in 1997, Alencar succumbed to the disease in 2011.
Alencar came to be revered among journalists and politicians for his spirited posture and friendly demeanor. He overcame his lack of formal education, arguing vehemently in favor of less taxes, especially indirect taxation over consumers, and a simpler tax system; lower interest rates and greater oversight of the banking industry; and social welfare and assistance programs. As Vice President, Alencar sometimes spoke out against his own government's orthodox policies, causing embarrassment for fellow administration members. His unwavering determination to live in the face of terminal cancer also marked public perception, during and after his time in office.
Personal life and early political career
Muriaé
Muriaé is a city and municipality in southeast Minas Gerais state, Brazil. It is located in the Zona da Mata region and its population in 2009 was approximately 99.628 inhabitants.-Important Facts:*Municipal Limits...
, in the inland state of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
on 17 October 1931. He was the eleventh son of Antônio Gomes da Silva and Dolores Peres Gomes da Silva. He started working while still a child, dropping out of primary school to help his father in the family business, and then worked with his brothers until he became a successful businessman on his own. In 1967, Alencar founded Coteminas, which would become one of Brazil's largest textile manufacturers. In 2002, he left the presidency of the company, by then a leading player with roughly 850 million reais
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
in yearly net sales, to his son Josué Gomes da Silva, in order to run for Vice President of Brazil.
In July 2010, retired teacher Rosemary de Morais was recognized in court as the daughter of José Alencar. Alencar refused to undergo parental testing, but, according to Brazilian law
Brazilian law
Brazilian law derives from Portuguese Civil law and is based on statutes and, partly and more recently, súmula vinculante . The Federal Constitution, in force since October 5, 1988, is the supreme law of the country and is the characterized by its rigid written form...
12.004/2009, this refusal is accepted as evidence of paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
. The legal case over Morais's parentage is still ongoing. Alencar had other children: one son, Josué, and two daughters, Maria da Graça and Patrícia.
Before being elected for the Senate
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
in 1998, Alencar ran for governor of Minas Gerais in 1994. While in the Senate, José Alencar worked on several Commissions, including the Senatorial Commission for Economic and Social Matters. In 2002 he was tapped to be Lula's running mate, in an effort to assuage worries about the candidate's alleged anti-business bias. He was the honorary President of center-right Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Brazil)
The Liberal Party was a conservative political party of Brazil, merged in the Republic Party. The Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus had been taking part in Brazilian elections through PL, but the church has now partially left it to create a new centrist party named Partido Republicano Brasileiro...
, but left his party at the end of 2005 to associate himself with the new Brazilian Republican Party
Brazilian Republican Party
The Brazilian Republican Party is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number is 10 and it became a registered political party on August 25, 2005. The Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus uses the party to elect its bishops in Brazilian elections...
.
Vice Presidency
Monetary policy
Monetary policy is the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money, often targeting a rate of interest for the purpose of promoting economic growth and stability. The official goals usually include relatively stable prices and low unemployment...
. His efforts led to the strengthening of Apex-Brasil, a pro-export agency seen as instrumental in the Brazilian economy
Economy of Brazil
The economy of Brazil is the world's seventh largest by nominal GDP and eighth largest by purchasing power parity. Brazil has moderately free markets and an inward-oriented economy...
's recent rise in exports.
Alencar was the most notable person in government to openly complain of the conservative
Fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
monetary policies of the Brazilian Central Bank, under Henrique Meirelles
Henrique Meirelles
Henrique de Campos Meirelles is the former president of Banco Central do Brasil, Brazil's central bank. In 2002 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's congressional lower house, as a Goiás-state PSDB party congressman...
, backed by ministers Antonio Palocci
Antonio Palocci
Antonio Palocci Filho is a Brazilian physician and politician, and former Chief of Staff of Brazil under President Dilma Rousseff . He was the Finance minister of the Brazilian federal government from January 1, 2003 until March 27, 2006 , during the presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva...
and Paulo Bernardo
Paulo Bernardo
Paulo Bernardo Silva is a Brazilian politician who is a member of the Partido dos Trabalhadores . He is the current Minister of Communications....
. He often criticized his own administration for failing to lower the Central Bank's base interest rates and demanded a reform of the country's tax system. In November 2004 he was sworn in as Defense Minister
Ministry of Defence (Brazil)
The Ministry of Defence of Brazil, is the civilian cabinet organization responsible for managing the Military of Brazil. It is headed by the Minister of Defence....
, following the resignation of José Viegas Filho
José Viegas Filho
José Viegas Filho is a Brazilian diplomat.José Viegas served as Brazilian Ambassador to Denmark , to Peru and to Russia . He was Minister of Defence in the Presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2003 and 2004...
. Lula turned to him to occupy a vacant position for which the President found no better-suited candidate. Alencar tried to resign on several occasions, claiming that a businessman would hardly be the best choice for running a nation's military forces
Military of Brazil
The Brazilian Armed Forces is the unified military organization comprising the Brazilian Army , the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force....
. Nevertheless, President Lula convinced him to stay until March 2006, when Alencar did resign his ministerial post, in favor of anti-graft activist Waldir Pires
Waldir Pires
Francisco Waldir Pires de Sousa is a politician of Brazil. He is the former Minister of Defence for President Luis Ignácio "Lula" da Silva, fired due to gross incompetence and inaction during Brazil's aviation crisis of 2006-2007. At the time of the crisis, he was accused by some in Brazil of...
.
Despite his disagreements with some policies of the Lula administration, Alencar was officially invited by Lula to once again be his running mate in the 2006 general elections. With Lula's re-election victory on 29 October, Alencar secured his position as Vice President for another term. Alencar then adopted a lower tone, while still espousing his traditional positions. He sought to run for the Senate in 2010, but was forced to give up due to the advanced stage of his cancer disease.
Disease and death
On a routine check-upCheck-Up
Check-Up was a Canadian medical information television series which aired on CBC Television in 1963.-Premise:The series was produced by the CBC in co-operation with the Canadian Medical Association. Each episode concerned a particular medical condition and featured doctors conducting a diagnosis...
, José Alencar was diagnosed with stomach
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
and kidney cancer
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
in 1997. After undergoing treatment for some length of time, he had his right kidney and two-thirds of his stomach surgically removed. Five years later, a malignant tumor in his prostate
Prostate
The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....
was removed. However, the disease continued to spread, and in 2006 doctors discovered a sarcoma
Sarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues that develop from embryonic mesoderm. Thus, sarcomas include tumors of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular, and hematopoietic tissues...
in his abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. On 26 January 2009, a surgery extirpated eight tumors, along with compromised portions of his small
Small intestine
The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
and large intestine
Large intestine
The large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...
and the ureter
Ureter
In human anatomy, the ureters are muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually long and ~3-4 mm in diameter....
s. He was treated for digestive hemorrhage in December 2010 with an urgent surgery, his last as Vice President; though doctors could not remove the tumors present in Alencar's abdomen, because of the number of surgeries to which he had been subjected – eighteen in all. Alencar received chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
for many years. He was mostly attended at Hospital Sírio-Libanês
Hospital Sírio-Libanês
The Hospital Sírio-Libanês is one of the most important hospitals in Brazil and South America, located in the Bela Vista district, next to Paulista Avenue, central zone of São Paulo city, Brazil....
, in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, and also received experimental treatment at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Alencar died in March 2011, in the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, after 13 years battling recurrent malignant tumor
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
s. His death was met with expressions of grief and respect by members of different institutions and across the political spectrum – former President Lula said he knew "few men with José Alencar's goodness and spirit" and President Rousseff said it was an "honor" to have served alongside him. Brazil held a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
for José Alencar, and Vice President Michel Temer
Michel Temer
Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia , better known as Michel Temer, is a Brazilian lawyer and politician, and currently the Vice-President of Brazil after winning on the ticket of Workers' Party candidate Dilma Rousseff...
decreed seven days of official mourning. Alencar is remembered as an honest and independent politician who favored social welfare and economic freedom
Economic freedom
Economic freedom is a term used in economic and policy debates. As with freedom generally, there are various definitions, but no universally accepted concept of economic freedom...
.