| Luiz Gushiken | |
|---|---|
| Luiz Gushiken | |
| Minister of Communications of Brazil | |
| In office January 2003[1] – March 2005[2] |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1950 Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Political party | Workers' Party (Brazil) |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Gushiken[1] |
| Profession | Politician, activist |
Luiz Gushiken (born August 5, 1950) is a Brazilian activist and politician. He was formerly the head of the social communication office of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration, a position which carried a ministerial rank. He is a second-generation Japanese-Brazilian, with Japanese parents from Okinawa.
In his youth he was a supporter of O Trabalho, a party linked to the French Organisation Communiste Internationaliste (OCI). He broke with this international current to work closely with Lula in the PT. He worked at Banespa bank and was associated with unions. He was elected a federal deputy in the Congress three times, from 1987 to 1998, and was the coordinator of the presidential campaigns for Lula in 1989 and 1998.
He was recently accused of being part of a cash-for-votes scandal, known as the Mensalão scandal, was demoted and left the government. He is currently under indictment by the Supreme Federal Tribunal for his role in the scandal.