The former federal deputy and former minister died this Sunday (18), aged 73. Raul Jungmann. The Pernambuco native was admitted to the DF Star hospital and had been fighting pancreatic cancer for years. The information was confirmed by IBRAM (Brazilian Mining Institute), which I have presided over since 2022.
Jungmann represented the state of Pernambuco in Parliament on three occasions – between 2003 and 2006, 2007 and 2010 and from 2015 to 2018 – and held the post of minister five times.
In the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, he led the Environment, Agrarian Development and Land Policies portfolios. Under the management of Michel Temer, he was in charge of the Defense ministries and, finally, Public Security.
It was under his command in the Defense portfolio that the main Law and Order Guarantee (GLO) operations took place, which allowed the use of military personnel in public security – like the one that occurred in 2018, in Rio de Janeiro.
The former deputy also presided over IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) between 1995 and 1996 and INCRA (National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform), between 1996 and 1999. He also served on the board of CET (Traffic Engineering Company), in São Paulo, under the blessing of former mayor Gilberto Kassab.
Jungmann began his political career as a member of the PCB (Communist Party of Brazil), shortly after the Diretas Já movement. He was a member of the then PMDB – today the MDB (Brazilian Democratic Movement) and helped found the PPS – today Cidadania.
In the Chamber, he was vice-president of the CPI dos Sanguessugas, which investigated an overpricing scheme in the purchase of ambulances with federal funds allocated to Health, and was one of the leaders of the campaign for disarmament. He was part of the opposition to the government of former president Dilma Rousseff (PT) and voted in favor of his impeachment.
IBRAM Note
With immense regret, the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM) announces the death of Raul Belens Jungmann Pinto, CEO of the institution, which occurred on January 18, 2026, in Brasília. In compliance with Raul Jungmann’s wishes, the wake will take place in a ceremony reserved for family and close friends.
A native of Pernambuco, Raul Jungmann dedicated more than five decades to Brazilian public life, acting with integrity, a republican spirit and an unshakable commitment to democracy, sustainable development and dialogue.
Throughout his career, he held positions of great national relevance, including the presidency of the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), three terms as federal deputy and four ministries – Land Policy, Agrarian Development, Defense and Public Security. In 2022, he assumed the presidency of IBRAM, leading an important transformation agenda for the mineral sector, guided by ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles and the defense of more responsible mining aligned with the challenges of the 21st century.
Under his leadership, IBRAM strengthened its institutional role and its commitment to legality, sustainability, innovation and the strategic role of minerals in the global energy transition.
Jungmann will be remembered for his competence, strategic vision, ability to articulate and for the legacy of dialogue and ethics that he leaves not only in mining, but throughout Brazilian public life.
For Ana Sanches, president of the IBRAM Board of Directors, Raul Jungmann was a public man of singular stature, a firm defender of democracy and deeply committed to Brazil and the public interest. According to her, as head of the Institute’s Executive Board, Jungmann led the entity through a decisive period, strengthening IBRAM and benefiting the entire mineral sector, a period marked by dialogue, strategic vision and integrity.
His legacy constitutes a milestone in the history of Brazil, IBRAM and the mining industry.
In this moment of deep sadness, IBRAM expresses solidarity with his family, friends and fellow travelers, thanking him for everything that Raul Jungmann represented for Brazil, the mineral sector and the Institute.
