Maria Auxiliadora Figueiredo | Ambassador of Brazil and Assistant Secretary to the São Paulo Municipal Secretary for International Relations
A retired career diplomat, she joined the Brazilian diplomatic service in 1978, and has held posts and headed important functions such as the Consulate General in Lagos, the Embassy in Abidjan, and the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, as well as working for the Undersecretariat-General for Political Affairs and the Africa Division of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the Sociedad de Estudios Internacionales (Madrid, Spain), she published a thesis for the Rio Branco Institute’s Course of Advanced Studies, entitled “Causes, solution and prevention of conflicts in Africa: the case of Guinea-Bissau – 2011”. She was awarded the Order of Rio Branco with the rank of Grand Cross in 2012. She has currently held the position of Deputy Secretary for International Relations at São Paulo City Hall since November 2023.