[1] His brother was lawyer and Communist activist Luiz Ignácio Maranhão Filho [pt], who had been forcibly disappeared and murdered by the Brazilian military dictatorship after it came into power in 1964.

His first term as mayor of Natal came in the mid-1950s after being nominated by governor Dinarte Mariz [pt].

[1] During his time in office, he had enlisted Moacyr de Góes to help expand literacy rates in the city to considerable success.

[4] Considered to be left-wing, after the coup d'état in April 1964, Maranhão was removed from office as mayor.

[6] He was freed after a habeas corpus order by the Supreme Federal Court in December 1964, and afterwards went into exile in Uruguay.