Telma de Souza, former mayor of Santos and PT founder, dies at 82

Telma de Souza, a prominent Brazilian politician and co-founder of the Workers' Party (PT), died on Saturday night at the age of 82. She passed away at the Monte Serrat Hospital following multiple organ failure and a cardiorespiratory arrest.

De Souza served as the mayor of Santos from 1989 to 1992, making her the only woman to have held the office in the city. Her political career spanned four decades, including terms as a city councilor, state deputy, and three terms as a federal deputy. She most recently served as a city councilor in Santos from 2017 to 2024.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin expressed their condolences, praising her legacy in public health. De Souza was noted for implementing pioneering mental health services and AIDS prevention policies in Santos that later served as models for Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).