Luiz Henrique Mandetta

Luiz Henrique Mandetta (born 30 November 1964) is a Brazilian pediatric orthopedist and politician, member of the Democrats (DEM). Mandetta was announced on 20 November 2018 as Minister of Health of president Jair Bolsonaro, replacing Gilberto Occhi.[1] On 16 April 2020 he was fired by Bolsonaro after disagreements over social distancing policies during the coronavirus pandemic.[2]

Luiz Henrique Mandetta
Minister of Health
In office
1 January 2019  16 April 2020
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byGilberto Occhi
Succeeded byNelson Teich
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
for Mato Grosso do Sul
In office
1 February 2011  1 January 2019
Personal details
Born (1964-11-30) 30 November 1964
Campo Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil[lower-alpha 1]
Political partyDEM (2009–present)
Other political
affiliations
PMDB (2002–2009)
MotherMaria Olga Solari
FatherHélio Mandetta
EducationGama Filho University
Military service
Allegiance Brazil
Branch/service Brazilian Army
Rank Lieutenant

Education and early career

Mandetta is a graduated medic by the University Gama Filho, with specialization in orthopedics by the service of orthopedics of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and sub-specialization in pediatric orthopedics by the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Atlanta. He was military medic, as lieutenant,[3] in the Army Central Hospital.

Political career

Member of Congress, 2011–2019

Mandetta has been an elected federal deputy since the 2010 elections for the 54th Congress;[4] he was reelected in 2014 for the 55th Congress.[5]

During his time in Congress, Mandetta was most well known for opposing health policies of the leftist Workers Party government, and in particular its “Mais Medicos” program which brought Cuban doctors to Brazil's most far-flung corners. He voted for the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.[6][7] Later, he was in favor of the Constitutional Amendment n.º 95 of 2016, that established a new tax regime.[7] In April 2017, voted in favor of the Labour Reform.[7][8] In August 2017, voted for the progress of the complaint against president Michel Temer.[7][9]

Minister of Health, 2019–2020

On 20 November 2018, Mandetta was confirmed by president-elect Jair Bolsonaro to assume the Ministry of Health.[10] About the accusations of irregularities when he was Secretary of Health of Campo Grande, Mandetta affirmed a week before the confirmation that he had talked to Bolsonaro about the details of the case.[11] According to him, the president-elect said that only the complaint wouldn't be a reason to block his nomination.[12] Mandetta is currently under investigation for alleged procurement fraud, influence peddling and undeclared campaign donations.[13]

Mandetta has received widespread notoriety in 2020 for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. The Health Minister has contradicted President Bolsonaro on numerous occasions; while Mandetta has defended social distancing measures in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Bolsonaro is an opponent of such measures and has criticized state governors who implemented lockdowns in their states.[14]

According to a Datafolha poll from April 2020, Mandetta had a 76% approval rating from Brazilians for his handling of the pandemic; 82% of the responses in support of Mandetta were from self-proclaimed Bolsonaro supporters.[15] The president's ministers Paulo Guedes (Economy) and Sérgio Moro (Justice and Public Security) have also been against the president's position on social distancing and have publicly supported Mandetta.[16] Bolsonaro has expressed his dissatisfaction with the minister multiple times, and reportedly decided to dismiss Mandetta on 6 April 2020 before backing down due to pressure from his advisors.[17]

Mandetta announced on 16 April 2020 that he had been fired by Bolsonaro, with oncologist Nelson Teich as Mandetta's successor as Minister of Health, though Teich would also resign a month later.[2][18][19]

Personal life

Mandetta is a Freemason,[20][21] and Roman Catholic.[22]

Notes

  1. After Mato Grosso do Sul foundation in 1977, Campo Grande became its city and capital.

References

  1. Mazui, Guilherme (20 November 2018). "Bolsonaro anuncia deputado Mandetta como futuro ministro da Saúde" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. "Mandetta anuncia em rede social que foi demitido do Ministério da Saúde" [Mandetta announces on social network that he has been fired from the Ministry of Health]. G1. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. Shalders, André; Magenta, Matheus (20 November 2018). "Governo Bolsonaro: Quem é Luiz Henrique Mandetta, que será ministro da Saúde" (in Portuguese). BBC. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  4. Gabriel Stargardter and Lisandra Paraguassu (1 April 2020), One Brazilian minister shines as coronavirus clobbers Bolsonaro Reuters.
  5. "Quem são" (in Portuguese). Câmara dos Deputados. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  6. Gabriel Stargardter and Lisandra Paraguassu (1 April 2020), One Brazilian minister shines as coronavirus clobbers Bolsonaro Reuters.
  7. "Veja como deputados votaram no impeachment de Dilma, na PEC 241, na reforma trabalhista e na denúncia contra Temer" (in Portuguese). G1. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  8. "Reforma trabalhista: como votaram os deputados" (in Portuguese). Carta Capital. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  9. "Como votou cada deputado sobre a denúncia contra Temer". Carta Capital. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  10. "Mandetta é confirmado como ministro da Saúde" (in Portuguese). GaúchaZH. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  11. Ministério da Saúde. "O Ministro". www.saude.gov.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  12. Marques, Humberto (13 November 2018). "Cotado para ministério, Mandetta discutiu "caso Gisa" com Bolsonaro" (in Portuguese). Campo Grande News. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  13. Shalders* - @andreshalders, André (20 November 2018). "Quem é Luiz Henrique Mandetta, que será ministro da Saúde de Bolsonaro" via www.bbc.com.
  14. "One Brazilian minister shines as coronavirus clobbers Bolsonaro". 1 April 2020 via www.reuters.com.
  15. "Aprovação de ministério de Mandetta também avança entre eleitores de Bolsonaro, diz Datafolha". Folha de S.Paulo. 6 April 2020.
  16. "Paulo Guedes se junta a Moro na defesa da estratégia de Mandetta". 3 April 2020.
  17. Benites, Afonso (7 April 2020). "Militares e cúpula do Legislativo intervêm para manter Mandetta, a despeito de Bolsonaro". EL PAÍS.
  18. "Brazil's Bolsonaro appoints Nelson Teich as health minister". Reuters. 16 April 2020.
  19. Dewan, Angela (31 May 2020). "Trump, Putin and Bolsonaro find their populist playbooks are no match for coronavirus". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved 1 June 2020. In April, [Bolsonaro] fired his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, one of Brazil's biggest proponents of social distancing. A second health minister, Nelson Teich, recently quit, after criticizing Bolsonaro's decree ordering beauty salons and gyms to reopen.
  20. https://www.noticias.uol.com.br/colunas/rubens-valente/2020/04/07/maconaria-bolsonaro-coronavirus.amp.htm
  21. Derosa, Cristian (6 April 2020). "Demissão de Mandetta pode desagradar maçons, afirma site".
  22. https://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/mandetta-contraria-bolsonaro-pede-manutencao-de-restricoes-impostas-pelos-estados-24339323
Political offices
Preceded by
Gilberto Occhi
Minister of Health
2019–2020
Succeeded by
Nelson Teich
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