Former minister Raul Jungmann died on Sunday (January 18, 2026), at age 73, from cancer while interned at DF Star hospital in Brasília. Jungmann held key positions in governments of Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Michel Temer, leaving a legacy in Brazilian politics. Politicians and authorities from various spectrums mourned the loss of a public servant dedicated to democracy and dialogue.
Raul Belens Costa Jungmann Pinto, born in 1952 in Recife (PE), died on January 18, 2026, at age 73, at DF Star hospital in Brasília, where he was treating cancer in the pancreas and peritoneum, diagnosed in mid-2024. After six months of chemotherapy, treatment became palliative throughout 2025. A native of Pernambuco, Jungmann began his political career as an opponent of the 1964 dictatorship, joining the PCB and MDB, and served as a councilor in Recife.
He gained prominence in the 1990s, heading the Ibama and, in 1996, the Ministry of Agrarian Reform under Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), where he promoted settlements following the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre. He was elected federal deputy for Pernambuco in three terms (2003-2011 and 2015-2016) by the PPS. In Michel Temer's (MDB) government, he served as Minister of Defense in 2016 and Public Security in 2018, coordinating the federal intervention in Rio de Janeiro, a period marked by the assassination of councilwoman Marielle Franco.
Since 2022, he presided over the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram), advancing sustainability and ESG agendas. Ibram issued a statement highlighting his 'competence, strategic vision, and legacy of dialogue and ethics', noting the wake will be private for family and close friends.
Numerous authorities mourned the death. Former president Michel Temer wrote: 'A Brazilian who knew how to serve the country. Wherever he went, he left his mark. Rest in peace, Raul'. Senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) stated: 'Brazil lost one of its greatest thinkers and nation-formulators. I lose a very esteemed friend'. Arlindo Chinaglia (PT-SP) described him as 'active' and a 'legitimate democrat'. STF minister Gilmar Mendes noted: 'He was always on the right side of history, defending the Rule of Law'. Dias Toffoli (STF) praised his 'firm presence in defending constitutional order'. Others, like Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-PE), Kátia Abreu, and Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PE), emphasized his commitment to dialogue and public ethics.
Jungmann leaves children Bruno and Júlia from a previous marriage, and partner Natalie.
