See who Colombo Salles was and his importance for SC

Former governor Colombo Machado Salles died this Tuesday (14), aged 97. Born in Laguna, he governed Santa Catarina between 1971 and 1975, until then with the National Renewal Alliance (Arena) party and was nominated for the position by the President of the Republic, Emílio Médici. Understand more about the life and political trajectory of Colombo Salles, and his main contributions to the State of Santa Catarina.

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Biography

Colombo Salles was born on May 20, 1926, in the municipality of Laguna, in the south of the State of Santa Catarina. Son of engineer Calistrato Müller Salles and Berta Machado Salles, he married Daisy Werner Salles, with whom he had three children: Maria José, Bertholdo and Marcelo.

Colombo Salles had politics in his blood. He was the cousin of Lauro Müller, the first republican governor of Santa Catarina, vice-governor, senator, federal deputy and minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also a cousin of Felipe Schmidt, governor, constituent federal deputy in 1891 and senator.

The former governor lived in Laguna until he was 15 years old, when he moved to Curitiba (PR) to finish school and enroll in the Civil Engineering course at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), from which he graduated in 1949.

Once graduated, Colombo returned to Santa Catarina, to work in several logistics, engineering and construction institutions and bodies. In the meantime, Colombo stayed with his family in France for six months, in 1957, to do an internship at the French Central Hydraulic Laboratory.

In 1963, he headed the Administration Office of the Port of Rio de Janeiro and the 18th District of Ports and Waterways. The following year, he moved to Brasília, where he was chief of staff to the mayor of the Federal District, Plínio Cantanhede. In the Federal Capital, he also took over the Government Secretariats; Social services; Finance; and Education and Culture.

During the administration of governor Ivo Silveira, Colombo Salles returned to Santa Catarina and was executive secretary of the II Government Target Plan (PLAMEG II).

See the signature of Colombo Salles

Government of Colombo Salles

In 1970, Colombo Salles received the nomination from the President of Brazil, Emílio Garrastazu Médici, to assume the position of Governor of Santa Catarina.

— I was an accident in the political life of Santa Catarina — declared the former governor, in an interview with CBN radio, in 2016. — I was giving an inaugural class at the Federal University of Goiânia, when they interrupted my class to announce that I had been nominated governor. I prepared myself to hear a boo.

The former governor took office on March 15, 1971, through the National Renewal Alliance (ARENA). The government platform was based on the Santa Catarina Development Project (PCD), with the main objective of integrating the regions of the State.

Investments in infrastructure resulted in the construction of more than 500 kilometers of roads, an increase in global electricity consumption, the modernization of the communications network and the implementation of 85,000 telephone lines in the State. He was the creator of the Companhia Catarinense de Águas e Saneamento (Casan).

Among the works carried out during his government, the construction of the second bridge connecting the Island of Santa Catarina to the Mainland stands out, which received his name at the inauguration. He was also responsible for the South Bay landfill and the construction of the SC-401 and SC-404 highways.

He left office on March 15, 1975, being succeeded by Antônio Carlos Konder Reis. Between 1983 and 1986, he was a Counselor at the Santa Catarina Court of Auditors (TCE/SC).

Colombo Salles received, among so many honors, the Title of Notorious Knowledgeawarded by the Federal University of Santa Catarina, the title of Honorary Citizen of Florianópolis, the Order of Industrial Merit of Santa Catarina, from the Federation of Industries of the State of Santa Catarina (FIESC), and many others.

*The information is taken from biography by Colombo Salles released by the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina

See photos of Colombo Salles’ life trajectory

*Under the supervision of Andréa da Luz

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