Mário da Costa Guimarães

Mário da Costa Guimarães entered diplomacy by examination in 1923. Early assignments took him to Paraguay, Washington, Cuba, Colombia, and several European capitals. He repeatedly served as chargé d’affaires, including in Prague before returning to the Washington embassy in late 1938. He headed that mission temporarily in January and February 1939, between the departure of Mário de Pimentel Brandão and the arrival of Carlos Martins. ¹

After service in Vienna and at the Foreign Ministry, Guimarães went to Paris in 1944 and worked through the restoration of the French government. He participated in the 1946 peace conference, represented Brazil in provisional maritime consultations, and subsequently served as minister-counselor and acting head of mission in London. Returning to Brazil in 1950, he headed Itamaraty’s Cultural Division. ^{1, 2}

His cultural work included Brazil’s participation in a UNESCO regional meeting in Havana, the first Latin Union congress, preparations for an international film festival, and the selection of a José Bonifácio statue for New York. He became ambassador to Costa Rica in the 1950s. President Jânio Quadros nominated him to India in May 1961. ²