The Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast (Portuguese: Superintendência de Desenvolvimento do Nordeste), or Sudene for short, is a Brazilian governmental agency created in 1959, during the government of President Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961), to stimulate economic growth in the northeastern region of Brazil, one of the poorest of the country, that faces chronic droughts and has a semi-arid climate. Sudene was created by suggestion of economist Celso Furtado, one of the leading intellectuals of Brazil, who was the agency's first director.