President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of official mourning in Brazil for death of presenter and businessman Silvio Santoswhich occurred in the early hours of this Saturday (17), in São Paulo. The decree was published in an extra edition of Official Gazette of the Union.
The presenter had been hospitalized in the capital of São Paulo since the beginning of August. In a statement, the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein confirmed his death due to bronchopneumonia after infection with influenza (H1N1).
Earlier, the president of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, declared three days of official mourning in the house. “His death causes sadness and consternation to Brazilian society,” Pacheco said in a statement. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, also declared three days of mourning.
The State of São Paulo and the city government of the capital of São Paulo declared mourning official seven-day leave due to the presenter’s death.
Jewish ceremony
At the request of the presenter himself, the family will not hold a public wake; The body will be taken to the cemetery, where a Jewish ceremony will be held.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1930, Senor Abravanel, his baptismal name, went from being a young street vendor in Rio to successful businessman in several sectors and founder of one of the largest media companies in the country, the Brazilian Television System (SBT), headquartered in São Paulo. Silvio Santos leaves behind his wife Íris, six daughters, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
*Text updated at 6:06 p.m. to add information
