Gaspar José Lisboa

Gaspar José Lisboa (1803–1865), born in Bahia, was appointed attaché in London on 10 May 1826. His later work included Russia, Argentina, and Uruguay. In October 1830 he temporarily headed the Russian mission while awaiting the Marquis of Maceió. He became minister resident in Washington in 1840; the position was raised to minister plenipotentiary in 1845. ^{1, 2, 3}

His Washington career ended in the dispute over the American warship Saratoga. After Brazilian authorities arrested sailors and an officer in Rio de Janeiro in October 1846, Lisboa was instructed to seek the withdrawal of U.S. minister Henry Wise and the American naval commander. In May 1847 the Council of State accused him of disregarding those instructions and negotiating instead over whether the arrests insulted the United States. The councillors feared that Washington’s interpretation of the settlement undermined Brazil’s jurisdiction over foreign sailors ashore. The councillors recommended his recall and a formal rejection of his concessions. Lisboa's handling of the dispute remained contested. ⁴