Minister of Foreign Affairs and other authorities

Ambassador Mauro Vieira - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mauro Vieira graduated with a Bachelor`s degree in Law in 1973 from the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and graduated in 1974 from the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy – Rio Branco Institute. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (Humaniorum Litterarum Doctorem) in 2014 from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vieira served as Coordinator for International Acts; Assistant to the Secretary General; Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Chief of Staff for the Secretary General; and Chief of Staff for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Vieira has also worked in the Ministry of Science and Technology, as Deputy Secretary General for Science and Technology; and at the Ministry of Social Security and Social Assistance, as National Secretary of Administration at the Institute of Social Security.

Abroad, he served as a Second Secretary at the Embassy of Brazil in Washington D.C. (1978-1982); at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA/ALADI) in Montevideo (1982-1985) as a First Secretary; at the Embassy of Brazil in Mexico City (1990-1992) as a Counsellor; and at the Embassy of Brazil in Paris (1995-1999) as a Minister Counsellor.

He was the Ambassador of Brazil to Argentina (2004-2010); Ambassador of Brazil to the United States of America (2010-2015) and the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations in New York (2016-2020). He was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil in 2015 and 2016.

His most recent posting is that of Ambassador of Brazil to Croatia from 2020 until December 2022. On 1 January 2023, he has taken office as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha - Secretary General of Foreign Affairs

Maria Laura da Rocha was born on September 26, 1955, in Rio de Janeiro, to Arthur Verissimo da Rocha and Laura Martins da Rocha. She is married to Sandro Melaranci and has two daughters, Elisa Melaranci and Marina Melaranci.

She joined the Diplomatic Career Preparatory Course at the Rio Branco Institute in 1976, when she was still in the third year of the National Faculty of Law (UFRJ, 1974-1976).

She began her diplomatic career as a Third Secretary on October 6, 1978.

On June 16, 2000, she passed the Advanced Studies Course (CAE) at the Rio Branco Institute by presenting her thesis “Diplomacy, Technology and Defense: Itamaraty and the international attraction of sensitive technology to the aerospace sector”.

She was promoted to First Class Minister (Ambassador) on June 18, 2008.

In Brazil, Maria da Laura da Rocha held the following positions: Assistant to the Head of the Human Resources Division and Executive Coordinator of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Administration Department (1978-1981); Assistant Director General of Administration at the Presidency of the Republic (1991-1992); Executive Coordinator at the General Undersecretariat for the Foreign Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1992-1993); Chief of Staff to the Secretary for Strategic Affairs at the Presidency of the Republic and to the Minister of Special Projects (1995-1999); Chief of Staff to the Minister of Science and Technology; and Interim Minister of State (1999-2002); Secretary for Diplomatic Planning at the Itamaraty (2008); Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2008-2010); Secretary General of Foreign Affairs (2023 - ).

While abroad, she served as Second Secretary at the Embassy in Rome (1981-1985); Second and First Secretary at the Embassy in Moscow (1985-1989); First Secretary at the Embassy in Rome; (1992-1995); Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in Paris (2003 - 2008); Permanent Delegate of Brazil to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2011-2014); Representative of Brazil to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2014-2017); Ambassador to Hungary (2017-2020), and Ambassador to Romenia (2020 – 2022).

Maria Laura has received the following decorations: Medal for Merit Santos Dumont (Brazil), the Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Officer), the Peacemaker Medal (Brazil); the Order of Aeronautical Merit (Commander); the Order of Scientific Merit (Commander); the Order of Military Merit (Commander); the Order of Naval Merit (Commander); the Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Officer); the Order of Defense Merit (Grand Officer), the Order of Rio Branco (Grand Cross), the Ordre National du Mérite (France).

Ambassador Gisela Maria Figueiredo Padovan - Secretary of Latin America and the Caribbean

Ambassador Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes - Secretary for Europe and North America

Ambassador Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes served at the Embassy of Brazil in Caracas (1994-1997), at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN in New York (2000-2004), and at the Embassy of Brazil in Santiago (2004-2007). Positions held while abroad included: Vice-Consul and Deputy Consul, at the Brazilian Consulate in Vancouver (1991-1994); Chargée d’Affaires, at the Brazilian Embassy in Wellington (2008-2009); Deputy Permanent Representative (2018-2020) and Chargée d’affaires a.i. (2021-2022), at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, in Geneva, and Ambassador, at the Embassy of Brazil in Stockholm (2022-2023).

In Brazil, she worked at the Administration Department (1987-1990) and at the Special Division for the Environment (1990-1991). She has also served as Deputy Head of the Europe-II Division (1997-1999), Political Affairs Assistant at the Secretary General Office (1999-2000), Head of the International Peace and Security Division (2015-2016), and Director of the International Organizations Department (2016-2018). In April 2023, she took office as Secretary for Europe and North America.

Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte - Secretary for Africa and the Middle East

CARLOS SÉRGIO SOBRAL DUARTE is Secretary for Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since April 2023.

Born in 1959, in Rio de Janeiro, he graduated in economics from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, in 1980. He began his diplomatic career in 1983.

He served as the Ambassador of Brazil in New Delhi (2012-2015), in Santiago (2017-2020) and as Permanent Representative of Brazil to the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Vienna (2021-2023). He also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, in New York (2015-2017).

In Brazil, he was head of the United Nations Division (2004-2005) and director of the International Organizations Department (2007-2011).

He also held diplomatic posts at the Mission of Brazil to the United Nations in New York (1987-1990 and 2004-2007), at the Mission of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva (1995-1998), at the Embassy in Caracas (1990-1993), and at the Embassy in Buenos Aires (1999 -2001).

He was awarded the following decorations:

Brazil: the Order of Rio Branco (Grand Cross); the Defence Order of Merit (Grand Officer); the Military Order of Merit (Grand Officer); the Naval Order of Merit (Grand Officer); the Aeronautical Order of Merit (Grand Officer); the Medal of Victory (Defence); the Peacemaker Medal (Army); the Tamandaré Medal of Merit (Navy); and the Santos Dumont Medal of Merit (Air Force).

Chile: the Order of O'Higgins (Grand Cross).

He has published works on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation affairs.

FRANÇAIS

Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia - Secretary of Asia and the Pacific

Born in 1967, in Rio de Janeiro, he holds a degree in Law from the University of Brasília. He joined the diplomatic service in 1990.

Ambassador to Japan between 2018 and 2022, he also served at the Mission to the UN, the Delegation to ALADI and the Embassy in La Paz. He was senior advisor to the Executive Director for Brazil at the World Bank and the IMF.

At the Foreign Ministry, he acted as Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and worked at the Department of Financial Affairs and Services, the Southern Common Market Division, and the Latin America Economic Division. He also held the position of diplomatic advisor to the Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee of the Federal Senate

Ambassador Mauricio Carvalho Lyrio - Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs

Ambassador Mauricio Carvalho Lyrio is the Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since April 2023, and has  served as Brazil's G20 Sherpa. He is also responsible for overseeing negotiations in multilateral economic organizations such as the WTO and the OECD, as well as MERCOSUR extraregional negotiations. 

Prior to his current role, he was the ambassador of Brazil to Australia (2021-2023) and to Mexico (2018-2021). He also held the positions of Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2016-2017), Secretary of Diplomatic Planning (2013-2016), Minister Counselor at the Mission of Brazil to the UN in New York (2011 -2013) and spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008-2010). He has served at the Brazilian embassies in China, Argentina and in the United States.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, he earned a bachelor's degree in Social Communication and a master's degree in International Relations from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). 

Ambassador Carlos Márcio Bicalho Cozendey - Secretary of Multilateral Political Affairs

Ambassador Carlos Márcio Bicalho Cozendey was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1963.

He joined the Diplomatic Career Preparatory Course (CPCD) at the Rio Branco Institute in 1985 and received his bachelor´s degree in Diplomacy from the same Institute (1985-1986). He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1980-1984) and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Brasília (1990-1992).

He held the positions of Assistant and Advisor to the Trade Policy Division 1987-1992), Head of the Mercosur Division (1999-2003), Director of the Economic Department (2007-2010), Director of the Financial and Services Affairs Department (2015) and Undersecretary general for Economic and Financial Affairs (2015-2018).  He also served as Special Advisor to the Foreign Commerce Chamber (CAMEX) Executive Secretariat (1998-1999) and as Secretary of International Affairs (2011-2014) at the Ministry of Finance.

On his first assignment abroad, he served at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to International Organizations in Geneva (1992-1995), and then at  the Delegation of Brazil to the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), in Montevideo (1995-1998). He was also Counselor at the Mission of Brazil to the European Communities, in Brussels (2003-2006). As an Ambassador, he was Delegate of Brazil to the International Economic Organizations in Paris (2018-2022).

He has been appointed Secretary of Multilateral Political Affairs since 27^th February 2023.

Ambassador Laudemar Gonçalves de Aguiar Neto - Secretary for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture

Ambassador Márcia Loureiro - Secretary of Brazilian Communities Abroad and Consular and Legal Affairs

Ambassador Márcia Loureiro started her tour of duty as Secretary of Brazilian Communities Abroad and Consular and Legal Affairs of Itamaraty last 26 July 2024.

As a career diplomat, she entered the Rio Branco Institute (IRBr) in 1985. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Foreign Service (1993) from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington-DC/USA.

Along her career in Itamaraty, Ambassador Loureiro worked in Brasilia in the fields of trade promotion, science and technology, diplomatic planning, federative and parliamentary relations, economic organizations, and the fight against transnational crime. She was also a member of the National Organizing Committee of the Rio+20 Conference.

From 2015 to 2017, she was the Head Advisor for International Affairs at the Ministry of Justice.

Abroad, Mrs. Loureiro served at the Embassy of Brazil in Lima and was Deputy Consul in Boston, Deputy Consul General in San Francisco, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy in Washington and Consul General in Los Angeles from 2017 to 2021.

From 2021 to 2024, Ambassador Márcia Loureiro was the President of the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation (FUNAG), a research institution affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago - Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment

André Aranha Corrêa do Lago was born in 1959. He earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1981) and joined the diplomatic career in 1982. In Brasília, he has served in positions in the areas of international organizations, trade promotion, protocol and energy. His overseas assignments included the Embassies in Madrid, Prague, Washington and Buenos Aires and the Mission to the European Union, in Brussels.

He has been working with sustainable development-related issues since 2001. He was Director of the Energy Department (2008-2011) and of the Environment Department (2011-2013), when he served as Brazil's chief negotiator for climate change (2011- 2013) and for Rio+20 (2011-2012). He served as Ambassador to Japan (2013-2018), to India (2018-2023) and accredited also to Bhutan (2019-2023). He became the Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March 2023 .

Corrêa do Lago has published books and articles on sustainable development and climate change and is also an architecture critic. He is married with four children.

Ambassador Denis Fontes de Souza Pinto - Secretary for Administrative Management

Denis Fontes de Souza Pinto was born in Recife. He graduated in Law from the Federal University of Pernambuco (1977) and joined the diplomatic career in 1979.

At the Foreign Ministry in Brasília, Ambassador Denis Fontes de Souza Pinto has served as General Coordinator of Budget and Finances; Director of the Foreign Service Department, Undersecretary-General of Foreign Service, among other positions.

His overseas assignments have been to the Embassies in Bonn and Quito as second secretary, to the Embassy in Beijing as first secretary, to the Embassies in Paris and Pretoria as counselor and to the Mission to the European Economic Community in Brussels as minister counselor.

He also served as Ambassador of Brazil to the Holy See (2013-2017);  Ambassador  of Brazil to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (2013-2017); Ambassador of Brazil to Canada (2017-2019); and Consul General of Brazil in Buenos Aires (2019-2023).

Ambassador Mitzi Gurgel Valente da Costa - Director General of the Rio Branco Institute