Bruno Covas, mayor of Sao Paulo, dies of cancer at 41

(CNN) – Bruno Covas, the mayor of Brazil’s Sao Paulo, died of cancer on Sunday, the city’s press office announced. He was 41 years old.

Covas was diagnosed in 2019. The cancer was first discovered in his digestive system and later spread to his bones. He was hospitalized on May 2 at the Sirio-Libanés Hospital in Sao Paulo, where his condition worsened.

Bruno Covas was elected deputy mayor in 2016 and became the youngest mayor of Sao Paulo in 2018, after Joao Doria left the mayor’s office to run for governor of the state.

Covas was reelected in 2020 with almost 60% of the vote.

With the death of Bruno Covas, Vice Mayor Ricardo Nunes will become mayor of Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil.

Covas was divorced and had a 15-year-old son, Tomás.