Adhemar Santillo

Ademar was the son of Virgínio Santillo and Elídya Maschietto Santillo.^[2] Born in Ribeirão Preto, his family settled in Anápolis in 1942. There, he helped found the Brazilian Democratic Movement [pt] in 1966 and worked for the city under the leadership of Jonas Ferreira Alves Duarte [pt]. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Goiás in 1970.^[3]

A member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1975 to 1986, he joined the restructured Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB) alongside his brother, Senator Henrique Santillo [pt]. For seven months, he was a member of the Workers' Party but later returned to the PMDB. In 1985, he was elected Mayor of Anápolis and joined the Social Democratic Party (PSD) due to a disagreement with prominent PMDB member Onofre Quinan [pt].^[4] He left the office in 1989, returning in 1997 after defeating his brother. He was not reelected in 2002 and subsequently retired from politics.^[5]

Adhemar Santillo died of a pulmonary embolism in Anápolis on 9 March 2021, at the age of 81. Three months earlier, Santillo tested positive for COVID-19.^[6]