Tarso Genro
Tarso Fernando Herz Genro is a Brazilian politician from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. An associate of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Genro was a leader of the Workers' Party in the 2000s.
Biography
Early years
Genro was born to a working-class family in São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul, Genro was active in politics from a young age. In the early 1980s, Genro was a spokesman for the Communist Revolutionary Party along with his brother, Adelmo Genro Filho.As a member of the Workers' Party, he was elected deputy mayor of Porto Alegre by the "Popular Front". He accumulated the position of vice mayor with that of government secretary. In 1992, Genro was elected to the position of Mayor of Porto Alegre, though he lost reelection in 1996. In 1998, he was speculated to be a potential presidential candidate for the PT in the place of Lula, though Lula ended up running
2000-present
As a result of the Mensalão scandal, Genro served the remainder of José Genoíno's term as party president in 2005. Ricardo Berzoini was elected to the post later that year.Following his service as interim president, Genro was a political adviser to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil, during the contentious 2006 Presidential campaign. On 16 March 2007, he became the new Minister of Justice in Lula's cabinet.
When Italian far-left terrorist Cesare Battisti of the Armed Proletarians for Communism, wanted for four murders, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in March 2007 by Brazilian and French police officers, Genro granted him status as a political refugee. It was a controversial decision, which divided Italy and the Brazilian and international press.
In November 2009, the Brazilian Supreme Court declared Genro's grant of refugee status illegal.
In 2010, Genro was mentioned as a possible successor to Lula, though the PT nomination went to Dilma Rousseff.