Distribution of the diplomatic career across Brazilian embassies (1994-2022) Leopoldo Mateus da Silva Ribeiro

Abstract

This study investigates the capacity of Brazilian diplomats in Brazilian embassies around the world between 1994 and 2022. Data requested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Integrated Platform for Ombudsmanship and Access to Information (Fala.BR) was used. The data was tabulated, and the embassies with diplomats were grouped into five regions: Africa, America/Caribbean, Asia/Oceania, Europe, and the Middle East. The results demonstrated that, despite the strong increase in the number of embassies in Africa during the period, the proportion of diplomats in African embassies remained significantly lower compared to other regions. While the average number of diplomats in embassies in Africa with a career member assigned was always less than three, in Europe, it reached almost six, and in America/Caribbean, it exceeded this number. The results also demonstrated a strong growth trend in the number of diplomats stationed in embassies in America/Caribbean in the first terms of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (26%), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (29%), and Dilma Rousseff (25%), and a slow but permanent increase in the number of embassies with diplomats stationed in Asia/Oceania between 1994 and 2018 (10 to 24).