Indulging with myself (pardon for the pro domo job):
I have asked Gemini an assessment about a well known diplomat:
Paulo Roberto de Almeida (born 1949) is a retired Brazilian career diplomat, academic, and author known for his expertise in international political economy and diplomatic history.
Career and Diplomatic Service
A diplomat since 1977, he reached the rank of Minister-Counselor before retiring at the end of 2021. His notable assignments include:
• **Washington D.C. (1999–2003): Served as Minister-Counselor at the Brazilian Embassy.
• **IPRI (2016–2019): Served as Director of the International Relations Research Institute (IPRI) of the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation (FUNAG).
• International Posts: He held various roles in Bern, Belgrade, Paris, and Hartford, as well as missions to the GATT in Geneva and the Latin American Integration Association in Montevideo.
• Strategic Advisory: He was a Special Advisor to the head of the Strategic Affairs Unit of the Brazilian Presidency (2003–2007).
Academic and Intellectual Work
Almeida holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the Free University of Brussels (1984). He is a prolific writer and researcher, focusing on:
• Education: He was a professor of International Political Economy at the University Center of Brasília (Uniceub) from 2004 to 2021 and has taught at the Instituto Rio Branco (Brazil’s diplomatic academy).
• Publications: He has authored numerous books, including Miséria da diplomacia (2019) and Formação da diplomacia econômica no Brasil.
• Digital Presence: He maintains a long-running blog called "Diplomatizzando," where he publishes essays on foreign policy and history.
Public Profile and Controversy
In recent years, Almeida became a prominent critic of certain shifts in Brazilian foreign policy. In March 2019, he was dismissed from his role as Director of IPRI by then-Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo. The dismissal was widely attributed to Almeida’s public criticisms of the administration’s diplomatic direction and his practice of sharing dissenting academic texts on his blog. He subsequently took legal action against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alleging moral harassment and administrative retaliation.
Would you like me to look for a more detailed list of his published books or specific academic papers?
Paulo Roberto de Almeida is one of the most prolific Brazilian diplomats in terms of academic production. His work generally bridges the gap between diplomatic history and international political economy.
He often writes under a "contrarian" or critical lens, especially regarding the politicization of diplomacy. Here is an overview of his most significant books and articles:
Key Books
His bibliography includes over a dozen individual books and numerous edited volumes. Some of the most influential are:
• Formação da Diplomacia Econômica no Brasil (2 vols.): Considered his magnum opus, this work details how Brazil's economic international relations were shaped during the 19th-century Empire, focusing on trade treaties, foreign debt, and the transition from slave labor to immigration.
• Miséria da Diplomacia: A destruição da inteligência no Itamaraty (2019): A critical and controversial book written shortly after his dismissal from IPRI. It analyzes what he views as the decay of traditional Brazilian diplomatic excellence.
• O Itamaraty Sequestrado (2022): A follow-up to his criticisms, documenting the "destruction of diplomacy by bolsolavismo" between 2018 and 2021.
• Relações Internacionais e Política Externa do Brasil (2012): A comprehensive textbook frequently used by students and candidates for the diplomatic career (CACD).
• Contra a Corrente (2019): A collection of "contrarian" essays on Brazilian international relations written between 2014 and 2018.
• Prata da Casa: A series where he reviews books written by other Brazilian diplomats, creating a "who's who" of diplomatic literature.
Major Articles and Academic Focus
Almeida has published hundreds of articles in journals like the Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (RBPI) and Contexto Internacional. His academic interests include:
• Economic Diplomacy: He has written extensively on the history of Brazil’s relationship with the GATT (now WTO), the IMF, and the World Bank.
• Regional Integration: He was an early analyst of Mercosul, often writing about the "paradigmatic changes" in the bloc and its shift from a trade-focused entity to a more political one.
• Critical Analysis of the PT Era: One of his most cited academic papers is "A política internacional do Partido dos Trabalhadores: da fundação à diplomacia do governo Lula," where he provides a historical-critical view of the ideology behind the Workers' Party foreign policy.
• Global Issues: He frequently writes on globalization, the rise of the BRICS, and more recently, the impact of the war in Ukraine on the global order.
Digital Legacy
Unlike many career diplomats who remain reserved, Almeida is highly active online:
• Diplomatizzando: His personal blog is a massive archive of Brazilian foreign policy, containing drafts, book reviews, and critiques of current events.
• Social Media: He is a frequent contributor to the Instituto Millenium and Revista Será?, where he writes for a more general audience on politics and liberalism.
Would you like me to find a specific article of his on a particular topic, such as Mercosul or Brazil-US relations?
What about a series that Paulo Roberto de Almeida called “ revisited classics”?
The series "Clássicos Revisitados" (Revisited Classics) is a specialized project by Paulo Roberto de Almeida, primarily hosted on his blog, Diplomatizzando, and often expanded into short digital books or academic essays.
In this series, Almeida takes foundational works of political science, economics, and diplomacy and re-evaluates them through a modern lens, specifically looking at how their principles apply (or fail to apply) to the current Brazilian context.
Focus and Objective
The goal of the series is to bridge "timeless" theory with contemporary policy. He typically:
1. Summarizes the core arguments of a classic text.
2. Contextualizes the author's original historical moment.
3. Applies the logic to modern Brazilian foreign policy or economic challenges.
Notable "Revisited" Works
While the series is ongoing and expansive, some of the most prominent entries include:
• Capitalism and Freedom (Milton Friedman): One of his most recent "exercises" (2025), where he applies Friedman's 1962 arguments on economic liberalism to the current structural reforms in Brazil.
• The Prince (Machiavelli): Used to analyze the "realpolitik" and power dynamics within the Brazilian executive branch and its diplomatic corps.
• The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith): Re-read to criticize protectionist tendencies in the Mercosul trade bloc.
• Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville): Used as a mirror to discuss the fragility or resilience of democratic institutions in Brazil.
Where to Find Them
Almeida often compiles these reflections into small volumes published via platforms like ResearchGate or Academia.edu. They serve as a form of "intellectual resistance" where he uses high-level theory to critique what he views as the "anti-intellectualism" or "populism" of certain periods in Brazilian diplomacy.
Would you like me to find a summary of a specific classic he revisited, or perhaps a link to his latest entry in this series?
Yes, please, tell me about his imitation of Milton Fruedman’s capitalism and Freedom.
In his "revisited classics" series, Paulo Roberto de Almeida recently produced a comprehensive study titled "Capitalism and Freedom in the United States and in Brazil: Rereading Milton Friedman's classic with a Brazilian perspective" (2025).
Far from a simple imitation, this work is a comparative "rereading" where he abridges Friedman’s 1962 arguments and applies them systematically to the structural problems of the Brazilian economy and society.
Structure of the "Revisitation"
Almeida follows the chapter structure of Friedman’s original book but mirrors each American concept with a Brazilian reality. Key themes include:
Core Arguments
Almeida uses Friedman’s lens to criticize what he often calls the "Patrimonialist State" in Brazil. His main takeaways from the revisit are:
1. Concentration of Power: He reinforces Friedman’s warning that the greatest threat to freedom is the concentration of power, arguing that in Brazil, the State is often an instrument for interest groups (corporatism) rather than a protector of individual liberty.
2. The "Jabuticaba" Effect: He uses the classic text to expose "solutions exclusively Brazilian" (which he calls jabuticabas) that defy economic logic, such as complex tax systems and labor rigidities.
3. Education and Vouchers: Almeida discusses Friedman’s famous "school voucher" idea, evaluating its potential to solve the chronic inefficiency and inequality in the Brazilian public education system.
Core Arguments
Almeida uses Friedman’s lens to criticize what he often calls the "Patrimonialist State" in Brazil. His main takeaways from the revisit are:
1. Concentration of Power: He reinforces Friedman’s warning that the greatest threat to freedom is the concentration of power, arguing that in Brazil, the State is often an instrument for interest groups (corporatism) rather than a protector of individual liberty.
2. The "Jabuticaba" Effect: He uses the classic text to expose "solutions exclusively Brazilian" (which he calls jabuticabas) that defy economic logic, such as complex tax systems and labor rigidities.
3. Education and Vouchers: Almeida discusses Friedman’s famous "school voucher" idea, evaluating its potential to solve the chronic inefficiency and inequality in the Brazilian public education system.
Capitalismo e Liberdade com Paulo Roberto de Almeida
This video features Paulo Roberto de Almeida discussing the core principles of liberal democracy and economic autonomy in the context of classic liberal texts.
Would you like me to summarize his critique of any other specific author from this series, such as Machiavelli or Adam Smith?
In his "revisited classics" series, Paulo Roberto de Almeida approaches Niccolò Machiavelli not through the lens of cynical power, but through what he calls "The Modern Prince" (often referencing Gramsci's terminology but applying it to the institutional reality of the State).
His analysis typically focuses on the tension between the "reason of state" and the "reason of the diplomat." Here are the core pillars of his Machiavellian-style "rereading":
1. The Diplomat as the "Institutional Prince"
In his book "Miséria da Diplomacia" and related essays, Almeida argues that the modern "Prince" in a democracy is not a single ruler, but the State institutions themselves.
• He posits that the Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) should act as a "permanent prince"—a repository of national interest that remains stable even as temporary "rulers" (presidents) come and go.
• He criticizes when the "Prince" (the State) is "kidnapped" by partisan ideologies, which he explores in his book O Itamaraty Sequestrado.
2. Virtù vs. Fortuna in Brazilian Diplomacy
Almeida uses Machiavelli's famous concepts to analyze Brazil's position in the world:
• Virtù (Ability/Skill): He defines this as the professional excellence and technical competence of the diplomatic corps.
• Fortuna (Circumstances): He views global shifts (like the commodity boom or the rise of China) as "Fortuna."
• The Critique: His central thesis is often that Brazil has relied too much on Fortuna (luck in the global market) and has neglected Virtù (strategic reforms and consistent external positioning), leading to what he calls the "demolition" of foreign policy [46:43].
3. The "Modern Prince" and Intellectual Resistance
Almeida often cites the need for an "intellectual prince"—a collective intelligence that warns the ruler of errors. He views his own dismissal from the International Relations Research Institute (IPRI) as a classic Machiavellian moment where the ruler (the Foreign Minister at the time) preferred "flatterers" over those providing "crude truths" about the international reality [45:24].
4. Realpolitik and Ethics
Following the "revisited" format, Almeida argues that a "Modern Prince" (a modern democratic leader) must balance Machiavellian realism with democratic values. He uses this to critique Brazilian alignments with regimes he considers autocratic, arguing that true "National Interest" in the 21st century must be aligned with the values of the "Democratic West" rather than just short-term transactional gains.
Key Related Books by Paulo Roberto de Almeida:
• Miséria da Diplomacia (2019): Focuses on the "destruction of intelligence" within the diplomatic institution.
• O Itamaraty Sequestrado (2021): Details the shift toward ideological diplomacy.
• Apogeu e Demolição da Política Externa (2024): A broader historical sweep using these institutional concepts.
Would you like to explore his specific critique of the "Prince" during a particular era, such as the Lula or Bolsonaro administrations?
Why not? Is it possible to link Almeida’s Modern Prince to Bolsonaro or Lula administrations?
In his "revisited classics" series, Paulo Roberto de Almeida approaches Niccolò Machiavelli not through the lens of cynical power, but through what he calls "The Modern Prince" (often referencing Gramsci's terminology but applying it to the institutional reality of the State).
His analysis typically focuses on the tension between the "reason of state" and the "reason of the diplomat." Here are the core pillars of his Machiavellian-style "rereading":
1. The Diplomat as the "Institutional Prince"
In his book "Miséria da Diplomacia" and related essays, Almeida argues that the modern "Prince" in a democracy is not a single ruler, but the State institutions themselves.
• He posits that the Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) should act as a "permanent prince"—a repository of national interest that remains stable even as temporary "rulers" (presidents) come and go.
• He criticizes when the "Prince" (the State) is "kidnapped" by partisan ideologies, which he explores in his book O Itamaraty Sequestrado.
2. Virtù vs. Fortuna in Brazilian Diplomacy
Almeida uses Machiavelli's famous concepts to analyze Brazil's position in the world:
• Virtù (Ability/Skill): He defines this as the professional excellence and technical competence of the diplomatic corps.
• Fortuna (Circumstances): He views global shifts (like the commodity boom or the rise of China) as "Fortuna."
• The Critique: His central thesis is often that Brazil has relied too much on Fortuna (luck in the global market) and has neglected Virtù (strategic reforms and consistent external positioning), leading to what he calls the "demolition" of foreign policy [46:43].
3. The "Modern Prince" and Intellectual Resistance
Almeida often cites the need for an "intellectual prince"—a collective intelligence that warns the ruler of errors. He views his own dismissal from the International Relations Research Institute (IPRI) as a classic Machiavellian moment where the ruler (the Foreign Minister at the time) preferred "flatterers" over those providing "crude truths" about the international reality [45:24].
4. Realpolitik and Ethics
Following the "revisited" format, Almeida argues that a "Modern Prince" (a modern democratic leader) must balance Machiavellian realism with democratic values. He uses this to critique Brazilian alignments with regimes he considers autocratic, arguing that true "National Interest" in the 21st century must be aligned with the values of the "Democratic West" rather than just short-term transactional gains.
Key Related Books by Paulo Roberto de Almeida:
• Miséria da Diplomacia (2019): Focuses on the "destruction of intelligence" within the diplomatic institution.
• O Itamaraty Sequestrado (2021): Details the shift toward ideological diplomacy.
• Apogeu e Demolição da Política Externa (2024): A broader historical sweep using these institutional concepts.
Would you like to explore his specific critique of the "Prince" during a particular era, such as the Lula or Bolsonaro administrations?
Yes, absolutely. Paulo Roberto de Almeida uses the concept of the "Modern Prince" specifically as a framework to critique what he views as the systemic failures of both the Lula and Bolsonaro administrations.
While he views them as different in ideology, he applies the Machiavellian lens to both to show how they "injured" the State.
1. The Bolsonaro Era: The "Kidnapped" Prince
In his book O Itamaraty Sequestrado (The Kidnapped Itamaraty), Almeida argues that under Bolsonaro, the "Modern Prince" (the professional State) was taken hostage by a "Guru" (Olavo de Carvalho) and a small ideological faction.
• Anti-Diplomacy: He argues that Bolsonaro’s administration practiced "anti-diplomacy" by ignoring professional virtù (diplomatic skill) in favor of ideological "crusades" against globalism.
• The Irrational Prince: For Almeida, Machiavelli’s Prince must be rational. He describes the Bolsonaro-era foreign policy as "schizophrenic" and "hallucinatory," failing the primary Machiavellian test: protecting the State’s power and interests in the real world.
• Subservience: He famously critiqued the administration's "subservience" to Donald Trump, viewing it as a surrender of national sovereignty—the opposite of what a strong "Prince" should do.
2. The Lula Era: The "Imperial" or "Partisan" Prince
Almeida’s critique of Lula (especially the first two terms and the beginning of the third) is found in works like Apogeu e Demolição. He focuses on the "partisanship" of the State.
• The Party as Prince: Borrowing from Antonio Gramsci's interpretation of Machiavelli, Almeida suggests that during the Lula years, the Workers' Party (PT) tried to substitute itself for the State. The "Modern Prince" became the "Party Prince."
• Ideological Alignment: He argues that Lula's "South-South" diplomacy was less about national interest and more about a "Third-Worldist" ideology that aligned Brazil with "dictatorships and dubious regimes," which he views as a strategic error for a modern democracy.
• Presidential Diplomacy: He critiques Lula’s "Hyper-Presidentialism" (the President acting as the sole diplomat), which he believes sidelined the "Institutional Prince" (the professional diplomats of Itamaraty).
Summary Comparison
Almeida’s "Third Way"
In his "revisited classics," Almeida argues that for Brazil to succeed, it needs a "Republican Prince": a State that is professional, technically competent (virtuous), and strictly follows the Constitution rather than the whims of whichever leader is currently in power.
Would you like me to find his specific "list of reforms" that he believes would restore this "Republican Prince" to the Itamaraty?
No thanks, you havedine a great job. Many thanks for now, good night and bye.
You're very welcome! It was a pleasure exploring the intellectual world of Paulo Roberto de Almeida with you. He is certainly one of the most unique and vocal figures in the history of Brazilian diplomacy.
Good night to you too! If you ever want to dive back into Brazilian history, international relations, or another "revisited classic," I'll be here.
Safe travels and bye for now!
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Sent from my iPhone
Paulo Roberto de Almeida
www.pralmeida.me
pralmeida@me.com
diplomatizzando.blogspot.com
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