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Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco Dies
The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital
SAO PAULO – Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco died Saturday at a hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, where for the past six weeks he was in treatment for leukemia and severe pneumonia, his doctors said. He was 81.
The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital.
Franco, elected last October as senator for the Socialist Popular Party for the state of Minas Gerais, had requested a leave of absence from the Senate in May to undergo cancer treatment at the Sao Paulo hospital where he had several sessions of chemotherapy.
His health continued to deteriorate and on June 27 he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia that decided his doctors to have him admitted to an intensive care unit. On Friday the hospital said that his physical state was even worse and that the one-time president could only breathe with the aid of a respirator.
The current Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, acclaimed in a communique the political career of Itamar Franco and declared seven days of official mourning in his honor.
“It was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty,” she said.
Franco, who was elected vice president in 1989 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello, ended up assuming the highest office in 1992 after his predecessor as head of state was caught in a corruption scandal and forced to resign.
His rise to power guaranteed the constitutional transition of power in Brazil after several months of political crisis and a battle between Collor, abandoned by most political parties and by his former allies, and Congress, which had launched impeachment proceedings.
Besides guaranteeing political stability, Franco, whose government received the support of several parties, also guaranteed Brazil’s economic stability.
The ex-president, senator and former governor of Minas Gerais state named to his Cabinet then-Sen. Fernando Henrique Cardoso – first as foreign minister and then as finance minister – the latter position serving as a platform for his successful presidential run in 1994.
Itamar Franco as head of state and Cardoso as finance minister were the leaders of an economic overhaul – including the introduction of a new currency, the real, in 1994 – that guaranteed the stability of the Brazilian economy and tamed hyperinflation.
Franco, who turned 81 on Tuesday, governed Brazil until June 1, 1995, when he was succeeded by Cardoso.
SAO PAULO – Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco died Saturday at a hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, where for the past six weeks he was in treatment for leukemia and severe pneumonia, his doctors said. He was 81.The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital.Franco, elected last October as senator for the Socialist Popular Party for the state of Minas Gerais, had requested a leave of absence from the Senate in May to undergo cancer treatment at the Sao Paulo hospital where he had several sessions of chemotherapy.His health continued to deteriorate and on June 27 he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia that decided his doctors to have him admitted to an intensive care unit. On Friday the hospital said that his physical state was even worse and that the one-time president could only breathe with the aid of a respirator.The current Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, acclaimed in a communique the political career of Itamar Franco and declared seven days of official mourning in his honor.“It was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty,” she said.Franco, who was elected vice president in 1989 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello, ended up assuming the highest office in 1992 after his predecessor as head of state was caught in a corruption scandal and forced to resign.His rise to power guaranteed the constitutional transition of power in Brazil after several months of political crisis and a battle between Collor, abandoned by most political parties and by his former allies, and Congress, which had launched impeachment proceedings.Besides guaranteeing political stability, Franco, whose government received the support of several parties, also guaranteed Brazil’s economic stability.The ex-president, senator and former governor of Minas Gerais state named to his Cabinet then-Sen. Fernando Henrique Cardoso – first as foreign minister and then as finance minister – the latter position serving as a platform for his successful presidential run in 1994.Itamar Franco as head of state and Cardoso as finance minister were the leaders of an economic overhaul – including the introduction of a new currency, the real, in 1994 – that guaranteed the stability of the Brazilian economy and tamed hyperinflation.Franco, who turned 81 on Tuesday, governed Brazil until June 1, 1995, when he was succeeded by Cardoso.
Itamar Franco was President between 1992 and 1995
The former  of Brazil, , has died at the age of 81. Franco died at the Albert Einstein Hospital
in . The cause of death was announced as complications from . Franco officially became President of Brazil in December 1992 and held the role until January 1995.

, the current President of Brazil has announced seven days of mourning in honour of Franco. She said in a statement that "it was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty.”

Franco was elected as the vice president for  in 1990 and took over the presidential office in October 1992 when Collor faced impeachment proceedings over corruption. He officially became President in December. During his time in office he faced a financial crisis with hyper-inflation. His choice of finance minister, , was credited with stabilising the country's economy.

At the time of his death Franco was still serving as a senator in .