Luiz Fernando Pezão
Quick Facts
Biography
Luiz Fernando de Souza, commonly known as Luiz Fernando Pezão or even Pezão (English: Bigfoot) (born 29 March 1958) is an entrepreneur, politician and the governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro. He was succeeded by interim Governor Francisco Dornelles on 28 March 2016.
Pezão has a degree in Administration and became a politician in the 1980s, as councillor of Piraí. He then served two times as mayor of the town.
In 2006, Pezão was chosen by Sérgio Cabral, then candidate to the governorship of Rio de Janeiro, to be his running mate. They won the election and Pezão took office as Vice Governor and State Secretary of Public Works simultaneously.
He assumed the office of governor due to the resignation of Sérgio Cabral, that at the time had plans to run for the senate).
Pezão is a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, one of the most powerful political parties of the country.
He was reelected governor in the 2014 gubernatorial election, running against former governor Anthony Garotinho, and the senators Lindberg Farias and Marcelo Crivella.