Santos Cruz

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is dos Santos and the second or paternal family name is Cruz.

General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz
Minister-Secretary of Government of Brazil
In office 1 January 2019 – 13 June 2019
President	Jair Bolsonaro
Preceded by	Carlos Marun
Succeeded by	Luiz Eduardo Ramos
Force Commander of MONUSCO
In office April 2013 – December 2015
Head	Martin Kobler
Preceded by	Chander Prakash
Succeeded by	Derrick Mgwebi
Force Commander of MINUSTAH
In office January 2007 – April 2009
Head	Edmond Mulet Hédi Annabi
Preceded by	José Elito Carvalho Siqueira
Succeeded by	Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto
Personal details
Born	Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz (1952-06-01) 1 June 1952 Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Political party	PODE (2021–present)
Spouse	Dora Regina Gondim
Military service
Allegiance	Brazil United Nations
Branch/service	Brazilian Army
Years of service	1968–2019
Rank	Divisional General
Commands	MINUSTAH MONUSCO 43rd Motorized Infantry Battalion 13th Motorized Infantry Brigade 2nd Army Division National Public Security Force
Awards

Divisional general Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz (born 1 June 1952) is a Brazilian military officer who previously held the post of Force Commander of the United Nations' peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known by its acronym, MONUSCO). He was appointed to this position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 17 May 2013 and replaced by Derrick Mbuyiselo Mgwebi on 29 December 2015. He was Minister-Secretary of Government of Brazil, nominated by President Jair Bolsonaro, from 1 January 2019 to 13 June 2019.

Biography

His grandfather emigrated from Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal in 1921 at the age of 22. He is of Quadroon stock on his grandmother's side. His mother is of Portuguese Nobility origin from Bahia. A graduate of the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras 1974 Promotion (Resende, Rio de Janeiro) and the Catholic University of Campinas, Santos Cruz has more than 40 years of national and international military experience. He served as Deputy Commander for Land Operations of the Brazilian Army from April 2011 and March 2013. He also served as Special Adviser to the Minister for the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs within the Presidency of Brazil.

Santos Cruz served as Force Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) between January 2007 and April 2009. In April 2013, he received command of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Santos Cruz commanded MONUSCO during the M23 rebellion and was praised for providing "strong backing" to the UN forces engaged alongside Congolese government forces.

In August 2022, Santos Cruz was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to lead the United Nations fact-finding mission regarding the Olenivka prison massacre, together with Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir and Issoufou Yacouba.

Awards and decorations

General da Cruz has been awarded:

• Order of Military Merit (Grand Officer - Grande-Oficial) (Brazil)
• Order of Naval Merit (Commander) (Brazil)
• Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Officer) (Brazil)
• Order of Labor Merit of Getúlio Vargas (Class III: Commander) (Brazil)
• Peacemaker Medal (Brazil)
• Military Medal (4 Stars: Gold - 40 Years) (Brazil)
• Order of Defence Merit (Grand Officer) (Brazil)
• United Nations Medal (MINUSTAH - Haiti) (United Nations)
• United Nations Medal (MONUSCO - DRC (Numeral 4)) (United Nations)

Further reading

• "Lt Gen Carlos Santos Cruz: We will go after those who are committing crimes against the population".
• "MONUSCO Senior Military Command meet over civilian protection and security issues". Archived from the original on 9 September 2014.