Riva Bezerra, mayor of Cedro, in the central hinterland of Pernambuco, found politics to be an unexpected but essential path to transforming the reality of her city. A businesswoman by training, she never imagined entering public life until she realized that local politics had been restricted to a small group for decades.

“When I returned to Cedro, I realized that few people had access to politics. It was like slavery, a political domain that never changed, regardless of who was in power. I entered politics to prove that this reality could be different,” he says.

Entrepreneurship and health as main challenges

One of Riva’s main causes is entrepreneurship as an alternative to the city’s current model, where a large part of the population depends on the city government to survive. “I want people to trust themselves and know that they can be whatever they want to be. I don’t want them to have to leave Cedro to seek opportunities. We need to create the conditions for them to be proud to live here.”

For her, agriculture is one of the fundamental pillars for the city’s economic recovery. “I know beautiful stories of women farmers who show how the power of work can transform lives. We can’t just think about surviving with jobs at the city hall; we need to foster entrepreneurship so that Cedro can get out of the hole it’s in today.”

Another urgent challenge for Riva is the health situation in the municipality, which he considers “catastrophic”. 

“Cedro is experiencing a state of health calamity. There is no structure to serve the population, and the health center is in a sad situation. Our priority will be to seek resources from the governor and the deputies to reverse this situation as quickly as possible,” he says. 

Transparency and good governance as management principles

Riva’s experience in the private sector has brought a different perspective to public administration, and she intends to implement a management approach based on transparency and efficiency. “It is impossible to manage a municipality without showing where public money is going. The population needs to understand each investment, and my way of governing will be based on this.”

Learning from RenovaBR reinforced this vision. “It helped me realize that I was on the right path. I learned the importance of combining efficient management with political vision. It’s not enough to have innovative ideas; you need to articulate and build consensus for changes to happen,” explains Riva. 

She wants to leave a lasting mark on Cedro by promoting economic autonomy, transparency and sustainable development. “My mission is to transform the city into a place where people have opportunities and can grow without having to leave. I want Cedro to be remembered not for the problems of the past, but for the promising future we are building.”