Ciro Gomes

Ciro Ferreira Gomes (; born 6 November 1957), known mononymously as Ciro, is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and academic. Ciro is currently affiliated with and vice-president of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). Born in São Paulo but raised in Ceará into a political family, Ciro began his political career at the age of 27 in 1984. Ciro was elected Mayor of Fortaleza aged 30 in 1988 and was elected Governor of Ceará at the age of 32 in 1990. During his tenure, Ciro was the most popular governor in the country. His Viva Criança program that reduced infant mortality in Ceará by 32% was given an international award by UNICEF. His success led to his appointment as Minister of Finance for a few months in late 1994 under President Itamar Franco, where he presided over the ongoing Real Plan that eventually stabilized the economy and ended hyperinflation. Ciro ran for President of Brazil for the Popular Socialist Party (PPS) in 1998 and 2002, coming in third and fourth place. In both Ciro presented himself as critical of Fernando Henrique Cardoso presidency and attempted to be a centre-left alternative to petista candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Following the election, Ciro was appointed by President Lula as Minister of National Integration, presiding over regional development and the interbasin transfer of the São Francisco River. In 2006, Ciro was elected federal deputy for Ceará. Ciro was expected to succeed Lula for the 2010 election, but Lula instead appointed Energy Minister Dilma Rousseff, a move he criticized. Ciro coordinated her successful presidential campaigns, but afterwards retired to the private sector. In 2018, Ciro returned to politics after joining the Democratic Labour Party, launching his long-awaited third campaign for the presidency. Running on a platform that included a public credit debt refinancing, a progressive tax system with dividend tax, increased funding for education and healthcare, a federal agency defending LGBTQ rights, and a neo-Keynesian, re-industrializing platform, he sought to portray himself as an alternative between Lula's appointee Fernando Haddad and right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro. Though he polled better than Haddad directly against Bolsonaro, Ciro finished in third place. Following Bolsonaro's victory, many argued that Ciro would have won if he had been nominated by a centre-left coalition.