Gilberto Kassab Explained

Gilberto Kassab
Office:State Secretary of Government of São Paulo
Term Start:1 January 2023
Governor:Tarcísio de Freitas
Office1:Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications
Term Start1:12 May 2016
Term End1:31 December 2018
President1:Michel Temer
Predecessor1:Celso Pansera
Successor1:Marcos Pontes
Office2:Minister of Cities
Term Start2:1 January 2015
Term End2:15 April 2016
President2:Dilma Rousseff
Predecessor2:Gilberto Occhi
Successor2:Inês da Silva Magalhães
Office3:Mayor of São Paulo
Term Start3:31 March 2006
Term End3:31 December 2012
1Blankname3:Vice Mayor
1Namedata3:Alda Marco Antônio
Predecessor3:José Serra
Successor3:Fernando Haddad
Office4:Vice Mayor of São Paulo
Term Start4:1 January 2005
Term End4:31 March 2006
1Blankname4:Mayor
1Namedata4:Hélio Bicudo
Predecessor4:José Serra
Successor4:Alda Marco Antônio
Office5:Federal Deputy
Term Start5:1 February 1999
Term End5:31 December 2004
Constituency5:São Paulo
Office6:State Deputy
Term Start6:15 March 1995
Term End6:1 February 1999
Constituency6:São Paulo
Office7:Councillor
Term Start7:1 January 1993
Term End7:15 March 1995
Constituency7:São Paulo
Birth Date:12 August 1960
Birth Place:São Paulo, Brazil
Party:PSD (2011–present)
Alma Mater:
Nickname:
  • Chefe Turco ("Turkish boss")
  • Kibbeh
Predecessor:Marcos Penido

Gilberto Kassab (pronounced as /pt/; born 12 August 1960) is a Brazilian politician and former mayor of São Paulo. His term ended in 2012. A civil engineer and economist, one of the most famous Brazilians of Syrian descent, Kassab took over from José Serra, after Serra decided to run for governor of São Paulo.

He belongs to the Syrian community of São Paulo, and is a member of the Partido Social Democrático (PSD). He is mentioned in 2017 among the beneficiaries of bribes from the multinational JBS.

Political career

Administration

The advertising industry criticized the city of São Paulo administration for the Cidade Limpa law, which prohibits all forms of external media and visual pollution such as billboards. Ad companies tried to keep the billboards in the streets with injunctions, but the supreme court determined the law to be constitutional. At any rate, support for the initiative from the public continues to be widespread.

Appearance in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Mayor Kassab appeared at length in the Morgan Spurlock 2011 documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold talking about the decision of the City Council to ban advertising in the city.

2022 presidential bid

In July 2021, Kassab announced that he would support Rodrigo Pacheco in the 2022 presidential election.[1]

Car Wash Operation

The biggest implicated company, Odebrecht kept an entire department to coordinate the payment of bribe to politicians. In the Car Wash Operation, officers seized several electronic spreadsheets linking the payments to nicknames. Every corrupt politician received a nickname based on physical characteristics, public trajectory, personal infos, owned cars/boats, origin place or generic preferences. Gilberto Kassab's nickname was 'Chefe Turco' and 'Kibe', portuguese form of 'Turkish Boss' and 'Kibbeh', respectively, alusing his Middle East ancestry.[2]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Kassab sees 'ammunition' for impeachment and supports 'Pacheco's profile' for 2022 . 4 July 2021 . Noticias UOL . 4 July 2021 . Sao Paulo . Portuguese.
  2. News: Apelidos de políticos na Odebrecht: quem é quem. 16 April 2017. G1.