Carolina Pimentel
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday presidential spokesman, André Singer, announced that president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva now has three new ministers.

Senator Hélio Costa (PMDB-MG), is the new minister of Communications. He substitutes Eunício Oliveira (PMDB-CE). In 2004, Costa was named one of the most active members of the Congress by a union-linked congressional watchdog organization (Departamento Intersindical de Assessoria Parlamentar) (Diap).

The president of Eletrobras, Silas Rondeau, is to be the new minister of Mines and Energy. He subsitutes Dilma Rousseff, who is the new presidential chief of staff.

Deputy Saraiva Felipe (PMDB-MG) is the new minister of Health, substituting Humberto Costa (PT-PE). Felipe studied at the Federal University of Minas Gerais medical school. He was a secretary in the Ministry of Health from 1989 to 1990, and the state of Minas Gerais secretary of Health from 1991 to 1994.

The three new ministers will officially take office on Friday.

Translator: Allen Bennett