Exhibit 12(a)1


                CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
                             AS ENACTED PURSUANT TO
               SECTION 906 OF THE U.S. SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

        Espirito Santo Centrais Eletricas S.A. - ESCELSA (the "Company") is
filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on the date hereof, its
annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended 2002 (the "Report").

        I, Antonio Eduardo da Silva Oliva, Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as enacted pursuant to
Section 906 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my
knowledge:

        (i)     the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a)
                or 15(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

        (ii)    the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all
                material respects, the financial condition and results of
                operations of the Company.

/s/ Antonio Eduardo da Silva Oliva
Antonio Eduardo da Silva Oliva
Chief Executive Officer
June 30, 2003