Passing of Ambassador João Clemente Baena Soares

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is saddened to inform of the passing of Ambassador João Clemente Baena Soares today, June 7th, in Rio de Janeiro.

Born in Belém do Pará in 1931, Baena Soares graduated in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and received an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and the University of Quebec in Canada.

He joined the Brazilian Foreign Service in 1953 and served in positions in the United States, Paraguay, Portugal, Guatemala, Italy, and Belgium.

He was the Director of the Department of International Organizations and, between 1979 and 1984, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the highest position in the diplomatic career hierarchy.

As a testament to his outstanding public service career, he was elected in 1984 as the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), the highest position ever achieved by a Brazilian citizen in an international organization.

Throughout his more than 40-year diplomatic career, Baena Soares, whose professional excellence, charisma, and determination inspired generations of colleagues, served the country with unparalleled competence and dedication and played a fundamental role in shaping Brazilian foreign policy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ambassador Baena Soares on behalf of all his colleagues.