Jader Barbalho

Jader Barbalho
Barbalho in 2011
Senator for Pará
Assumed office
7 April 2015
Preceded byFernando Ribeiro
In office
28 December 2011 – 30 January 2015
Preceded byJosé Nery
Succeeded byFernando Ribeiro
In office
1 February 1995 – 5 October 2001
Preceded byAlmir Gabriel
Succeeded byFernando Ribeiro
Federal Deputy for Pará
In office
1 February 2003 – 1 February 2011
ConstituencyAt-large
In office
1 February 1975 – 14 May 1981
ConstituencyAt-large
President of the Federal Senate
In office
14 February 2001 – 19 September 2001
Preceded byAntônio Carlos Magalhães
Succeeded byRamez Tebet
Governor of Pará
In office
1 January 1991 – 3 April 1994
Vice GovernorCarlos Santos
Preceded byHélio Gueiros
Succeeded byCarlos Santos
In office
15 March 1983 – 15 March 1987
Vice GovernorLaércio Franco
Preceded byAlacid Nunes
Succeeded byHélio Gueiros
Minister of Social Security
In office
29 July 1988 – 15 March 1990
PresidentJosé Sarney
Preceded byRenato Archer
Succeeded byAntônio Rogério Magri
Minister of Agrarian Development
In office
22 September 1987 – 29 July 1988
PresidentJosé Sarney
Preceded byMarcos Freire
Succeeded byLeopoldo Pacheco Bessone
Personal details
Born (1944-10-27) 27 October 1944 (age 80)
Belém, Pará, Brazil
Political partyMDB

Jader Fontenelle Barbalho (born 27 October 1944) is a Brazilian politician, businessman and landowner from the state of Pará. He is currently a member of the PMDB party and a Senator for Pará. He is the father of Hélder Barbalho, former mayor of Ananindeua, Pará and currently governor of this state. Also, he is the former husband of Federal Deputy Elcione Zahluth Barbalho.

Barbalho is a national figure, known throughout Brazil, albeit a controversial one. There have been raised numerous allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds against Barbalho, who owns newspaper Diário do Pará and is part owner of a local TV station (TV Tapajós) of the leading Globo Television network. Starting a political career in Belém with humble possessions, Barbalho became a millionaire after decades in public office.[1] He has held the offices of Federal Deputy over four terms, State Governor twice, Senator thrice and Minister twice.

In 2000, Barbalho was the President of the PMDB party and Senator when a wave of corruption allegations against him took national headlines, involving embezzlement of public funds at the Superintendência de Desenvolvimento da Amazônia (SUDAM - Superintendence for Amazon's Development) development agency and the Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA - National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform). Barbalho was forced to resign the office, later briefly arrested, and the SUDAM was closed. However, he was subsequently elected Federal Deputy in 2002 and 2006 and Senator in 2010.