Wikipedia

Rogério Cruz

Rogério Oliveira da Cruz (born 1 September 1966) is a Brazilian Evangelical pastor affiliated with the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, radio personality, and politician who has been the mayor of Goiânia since 2021. He is the first Black mayor of the city. Affiliated with the Republicanos, he initially was a councilman and later vice-mayor of the city, but took over after the death of then-mayor Maguito Vilela.

Rogério Cruz
Rogério Cruz in 2024.
Mayor of Goiânia
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 January 2021
Preceded byMaguito Vilela
Vice-mayor of Goiânia
In office
1 January 2021 – 13 January 2021
Preceded byMajor Araújo [pt]
Succeeded byVacant
Councilman of Goiânia
In office
1 January 2013 – 1 January 2021
Personal details
Born
Rogério Oliveira da Cruz

(1966-09-01) 1 September 1966 (age 58)
Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political partyRepublicanos (2010–present)
Alma materUniversidade Paulista
OccupationEvangelical pastor, radio personality, politician

Early life and career

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Cruz was born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro in 1966. He is married to Thelma Cruz.[1] He graduated with a degree in public management from Universidade Paulista (UNIP). He was an administrator and radio talk show host during his years with Grupo Record, as well as with the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, of which he is a member and pastor of. In this manner, he has experience in radio and TV on the African continent, where he was responsible for the broadcasting of Record Internacional in Angola and Mozambique. He had served with the company as executive director for 16 years.[2]

In recognition of his humanitarian actions, he received the title of Honorary Associate of the Rotary Club of Goiânia in 2022.

Political career

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Councilman (2012–2020)

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In 2010, Cruz moved to Goiânia, where he began his political career. Elected councilman in 2012 and 2016, he had been among the 5 most voted candidates in the city.[3] During his mandate, he was president of the Commission of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs (PPDNE).[4] In 2012, he was elected with 7,774 votes, the third most voted,[5] while in 2016, he was the 4th most voted with 8,312 votes.[6]

In mid-2019, it was speculated that he would not be a candidate for council and had decided to focus exclusively on his position as a pastor with the Universal Church,[7] which had been confirmed by a religious leader in 2020. However, amid the speculation, he became a candidate for vice-mayor for the campaign of Maguito Vilela.[8]

Mayor of Goiânia (2021–present)

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Cruz and Vilela were elected during 2020 municipal elections.[9] Vilela, however, contracted COVID-19 and died on 13 January 2021 at Hospital Albert Einstein, where he had been hospitalized for more than 80 days due to complications from an UTI.[10] Cruz, as a result, became mayor[10] and effectively guarantied that the political project of Vilela would take hold and would help to develop a harmonious relationship with members of Vilela's party, including with his son Daniel Vilela[11] and governor Ronaldo Caiado.[12] Cruz became the first Black mayor in Goiânia's history.[13][14]

As mayor of the city, Cruz led the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in cases at the start of 2021, including closing the city's bars for the time being.[15] Later, in February 2021, he positioned himself against more lockdowns.[16] However, several weeks later, he joined other mayors in the metropolitan region and closed all non-essential businesses[17] and opted to sanction an emergency line for 6 months for families that did not have any kind of formal income,[18] called Renda Família,[19] accompanied by new vaccines.[20] During the same period, he began to organize work groups to revise the Director Plan of Goiânia, one of his main campaign promises.[21]

In March 2021, due to pressure from the party base, Cruz began administrative reforms, demoting central figures that were carried over from the Vilela administration, such as the Secretary of Government Andrey Azeredo, who was replaced by Arthur Bernardes de Miranda. At the time, he also began to align his administration with religious leaders who are connected to the Universal Church, as well as other Evangelical churches and politicians such as João Campos.[22][23][24] As a consequence, by April, every politician from Vilela's party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), called on secretaries to collectively ask for exoneration in protest to the abandonment of government plans, as well as the suspension of contracts made by former mayor Iris Rezende.[25]

References

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  1. ^ Ketelbey, Domingos (15 April 2021). "Prefeito entrega documentação à índios venezuelanos refugiados para legalizar situação em Goiânia". Diário de Goiás. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Conheça Rogério Cruz, novo vice-prefeito de Goiânia". Rádio Sagres. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Com morte de Maguito Vilela, Rogério Cruz assume como prefeito de Goiânia de maneira definitiva". G1. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Confira quem são os presidentes e membros das 18 Comissões Permanentes da Câmara". Jornal Opção. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  5. ^ GO, Do G1 (8 October 2012). "Confira a composição da Câmara Municipal de Goiânia". Eleições 2012 em Goiás (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ GO, Do G1 (3 October 2016). "Veja os 35 vereadores eleitos para a Câmara Municipal de Goiânia". Eleições 2016 em Goiás (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Neto do compositor Cartola vai ser candidato a vereador em Goiânia. Pode substituir Rogério Cruz". Jornal Opção. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Quem é o radialista e pastor licenciado Rogério Cruz, vice de Maguito Vilela". CNN Brasil. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Maguito Vilela, do MDB, é eleito prefeito de Goiânia". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Maguito Vilela morre de Covid-19". O Antagonista (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Rogério Cruz e Daniel Vilela ensaiam união de MDB e Republicanos para 2022". O Popular. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Em 1º encontro oficial, Caiado e Cruz mostram entrosamento". O Popular. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Movimentos antirracistas cobram mais ações em Goiânia". O Hoje. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Substituto de Maguito, novo prefeito de Goiânia já foi pastor da Universal". O Globo. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Após decreto polêmico, Rogério Cruz responde críticas sobre fechamento de bares". O Hoje. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Sem fechamentos… Rogério Cruz descarta necessidade de lockdown em Goiânia". Diário de Goiás. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Prefeitos da Região Metropolitana de Goiânia estudam decreto para fechar todo o comércio não essencial por 7 dias". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Goiânia quer criar auxílio de R$ 300 para ao menos 20 mil famílias carentes". Metrópoles. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Prefeito de Goiânia sanciona auxílio de R$ 300 para famílias de baixa renda". G1. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Melo reúne-se com prefeito de Goiânia". Prefeitura de Porto Alegre. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Grupo de trabalho é montado para discutir Plano Diretor de Goiânia". Jornal Opção. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Rogério Cruz demite Andrey Azeredo e troca comando da Secretaria de Governo". Diário de Goiás. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Rogério Cruz sofre pressão de vereadores, do Republicanos e de igreja para mudar o secretariado". Jornal Opção. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Reforma de Rogério Cruz alcança 30% do orçamento do Paço Municipal de Goiânia". O Popular. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  25. ^ "MDB desembarca da prefeitura de Goiânia, mas mantém liberdade para vereadores". Rádio Sagres. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by
Junio Alves Araújo
 Vice Mayor of Goiânia
2021 		Vacant
Preceded by Mayor of Goiânia
2021–present 		Incumbent
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