Open Collar Interview № 65 with Ambassador Sergio Duarte
April 22, 2024
We can consider ourselves heirs of the French Revolution
EDITORIAL: The new guest of the PIR Center’s Open Collar Interview Series is Ambassador Sergio Duarte, the President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and a member of the PIR Center Advisory Board since 2022.
In this interview, Ambassador Duarte reflected on the past and present of Brazil, shared insights from his diplomatic career, and discussed his love for poetry, including details of his latest book.
The interview was conducted by Alexandra Zubenko, an M.A. Candidate in the International Dual Degree M.A. Program “Global Security, Nuclear Policy, and WMD Nonproliferation” (MGIMO-MIIS-PIR Center), and edited by Maksim Sorokin, Information & Publications Program Coordinator – Editor of the “Yaderny Control” E-Bulletin.
About the Childhood and the Road toward Diplomatic Service
I was born in 1934 in Rio de Janeiro. My father was a technical draftsman and cartographer; he made maps. He was also an artist who participated in international exhibitions and received several prizes. I was the 2nd child in our family. When I was three years old, my father was offered a job in the Western part of Brazil on the border with Bolivia, nearly 4,000 km from Rio, to build a railway between Brazil and Bolivia. We spent seven years there and then returned to Rio.
I was studying in the 50s-mid-60s. I was 20 years old at that time, and I was pursuing a degree at the Faculty of Law. I also took public administration courses and was even offered a job at a state-owned electric company, but I decided not to take it. Then, I wanted to serve in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I remember that they announced a yearly competition for those who tried to enter the diplomatic service. I didn’t know much about the diplomatic service, but my father did. He even knew some diplomats and considered them very decent people. So, he invited me to participate in the contest, and I agreed. There were nine subjects during the exam, and surprisingly, I passed the selection process /laughs/.
About the Period of Military Dictatorship in Brazil and Brazilian Diplomacy at that Time
I had strong feelings about this period back then because my political views were very democratic; I was not happy when the coup took place. The military justified this by saying there was a danger of communism strengthening in Brazil. I didn’t think that was the case. But I hoped it wouldn’t last too long, just a few years. However, the dictatorship dragged on for 20 years. It seems to me that, in general, authoritarian-led coups were then a trend in Latin America. They took place in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Looking back, yes, it was part of our history, but I hope it will never happen again.
Surprisingly, I can’t say that it significantly impacted our diplomacy. The goals remained the same – to make Brazil a global player and maintain relations with all countries, including Europe and the US, with which we have always had close ties, and with the USSR. During the dictatorship, Brazil also established relations with China. The changes in diplomatic approach were about the rhetoric – there was a very ardent anti-communism narrative on the government’s side, which did not want the spread of leftist ideologies in Latin America. And I must say that Brazil hasn’t changed such a course even after the Cold War. The policy of multipolarity has always been inherent in our diplomacy, and we have always successfully coped with such an aspiration.
About the Enchanted Land
I often face the question of which country I liked the most among those I worked in, but I should say I was happy everywhere. My first business trip was to Italy, and it was a pleasant time when the world was much more relaxed. Then, I was placed in Argentina and sent to Geneva, where there was a Brazilian mission to the United Nations. I participated in the famous Committee of 18 in Geneva and learned what multilateral diplomacy means.
I was the youngest member of our delegation. It was an exciting and pleasant experience because life was much less stressful than it is now. Following that, I had a business trip to Washington, then again to Geneva, where the Committee of 18 has already turned into a Committee for Disarmament Affairs. I remember that I was against the NPT at that time because we considered this treaty discriminatory. Brazil, as you know, joined it only in the 1990s. It was an intriguing experience to translate our concerns on several issues into the language of law and then reflect the concerns in the official legal document. However, this was not achieved, mostly because Brazil was against the two leading players – the USSR and the US – who played a decisive role in the treaty’s drafting.
If you ask my wife the same question, she will probably say we were the happiest in Nicaragua. Observing the Soviet-American confrontation was fascinating, seeing how communist ideas could be embodied in this small, developing country. Also, the neighboring countries conducted quiet and well-coordinated work inside the country to include it in the camp of socialist states.
About Diplomacy and Advice to Young International Relations Experts
Diplomacy is a very complex concept that requires the development of several skills. You need to be a reasonable observer and analyze everything around you; you need to study the culture and mentality of the countries, enhance personal contacts, and understand what you want to achieve through diplomacy. Perhaps the most important advice I can give young diplomats is to read more. And not only what your government writes but also what other countries think.
About Modern Brazil
Brazil is booming in many areas, but some problems still need to be solved. One economist in the last century called Brazil Belindia, hinting that Brazil has a very well and efficiently developed bureaucratic system, as in Belgium, and on the other hand, there is a problem of inequality, as in India. The North of Brazil is much less developed than the South. I hope the next generations will be able to equalize the distribution of benefits in society; this will solve other problems too. It seems to me that this issue contributed to the rise of dictatorships in Latin American countries during the Cold War. In addition to inequality, there is also a corruption problem. One of the central promises of the military that came to power in Brazil in the 1960s was to eradicate it. We are also facing environmental issues and obstacles to maintaining a competitive position in the global economic system. In the early 1990s, Brazil was the 7th economy in the world; now, it is the 12th.
Although we have ten neighbors, Brazil is a very stable and peaceful player. This seems to be due to the proximity of culture since we are all heirs of Spanish and Portuguese culture. Brazil last fought a war in the 1850s with Argentina and Paraguay. In the 20th century, Brazil sent its soldiers to help the United States and its allies during World War II.
About Political Instability in Latin America
Latin American countries are often blamed for political instability. I’m afraid I have to disagree with that. I consider the protests we had recently the manifestation of democracy. Protests are also regularly taking place in Europe. More significantly, there have never been revolutions in Latin America in the complete sense of the word – as in Europe or Russia – when one class rebelled against another and replaced it. We can consider ourselves the heirs of the French Revolution, after which the national liberation movements began in the United States and Latin America.
About the Translation of Poetry and a New Book
One of my favorite hobbies is translating Italian, French, and English poetry into Portuguese. I like Renaissance poets; recently, I translated Petrarch – his sonnets to a woman he loved all his life, while he only saw her but never spoke to her. When she died, he hoped she would be waiting for him in heaven. That’s why my book is called “On Earth and in Heaven.” It will soon be released in one of the leading publishing houses in Brazil.
Also, I recently translated the love lyrics of the British poet of the Victorian era – Elizabeth Browning. Her style also resembles Renaissance sonnets, and even one of her books is called “Portuguese Sonnets,” as if in homage to the sonnets of Portuguese Renaissance poets.
