Brazilian Gov’t picks Bolsonaro’s last FM for Ottawa embassy

Brazilian Gov’t picks Bolsonaro’s last FM for Ottawa embassy

With the endorsement of Acting President Geraldo Alckmin, Brazil’s Government Wednesday sent the name of former Foreign Minister Carlos França to the Senate to be appointed ambassador to Canada, it was published in the Diário Oficial da União (DOU – Official Gazette).

To take over the Brazilian embassy in Ottawa, França will have to be approved first by the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee (CRE) and then by the Upper House plenary. Last month, Canada granted agrément to França’s designation.

A career diplomat, before being Foreign Minister under Bolsonaro between 2021 and 2022, França was Chief Advisor of the Special Advisory Office of the Presidency of the Republic (2020-2021) and head of the ceremonial office of the Presidency of the Republic (2019-2020).

He has been at Itamaraty since 1991. He started in the Administration Department. In 1997, he served in the ceremonial office of the Presidency in the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB). He then served in the United States, Paraguay, and Bolivia. In 2011, he returned to the ceremonial office, in the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT). In 2015, he left Itamaraty to work in the private sector. He held the position of director of corporate affairs and strategic business at AG S.A., of the Andrade Gutierrez group.

França was Bolsonaro’s Foreign Minister from April 2021 to December 2022, after replacing the controversial Ernesto Araújo.