Guido Mantega

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Guido Mantega (born April 7, 1949 in Genoa, Italy) is a Brazilian economist, politician and currently Brazil's Finance Minister.

He graduated in Economics from the Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade of the University of São Paulo and is a professor of Economics at several leading universities of São Paulo.

He has long been associated with the left wing Workers' Party and was a key member in the successful presidential campaign of the party's founder and leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Upon Lula's access to power in 2003, Mantega was appointed Minister for Planning, and later chairman to BNDES (National Bank for Economical and Social Development).

On March 27, 2006 he was named Brazil's Finance Minister, replacing Antônio Palocci, who resigned in the wake of corruption charges.