[1] From 1984 to 1986, he was Secretary of Education of the State of São Paulo under Governor André Franco Montoro.

[1] After finishing his term, he became the operations manager and vice president of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. from 1991 to 1994.

[1][2] Souza was one of the founding member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party in 1988 and was Minister of Education from 1995 to 2002 under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

[7] In November 2006, Souza was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil to one of the 70 seats representing the State of São Paulo.

[8] He took leave of absence from the Chamber of Deputies on 27 March 2009 to take office as Secretary of Education of the State of São Paulo under Governor José Serra, replacing Maria Helena Guimarães de Castro.