Nisha Rathode (Editor)

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco

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Preceded by
  
Olinto de Magalhaes

Role
  
Diplomat

Preceded by
  
Pereira da Silva


Nationality
  
Brazilian

Succeeded by
  
Lauro Muller

Name
  
Jose Baron

Children
  
Paulo do Rio Branco

Jose Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

President
  
Rodrigues Alves Afonso Pena Nilo Pecanha Hermes da Fonseca

Born
  
Jose Maria da Silva Paranhos Junior 20 April 1845 Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil (
1845-04-20
)

Spouse(s)
  
Marie Philomene Stevens

Alma mater
  
Faculty of Law of Recife

Died
  
February 10, 1912, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Parents
  
Jose Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco, vicomtesse de Rio-Branco

Education
  
Faculdade de Direito do Recife (1866), Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Sao Paulo

Political party
  
Conservative Party

José Maria da Silva Paranhos, Jr., Baron of Rio Branco (in Portuguese:Barão do Rio Branco) (April 20, 1845 – February 10, 1912) was a Brazilian diplomat, geographer, historian, monarchist, politician and professor, considered to be the "father of Brazilian diplomacy". He was the son of famous statesman José Maria da Silva Paranhos, Sr. The Baron of Rio Branco was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, occupying its 34th chair from 1898 until his death in 1912. As a representative of Brazil, through his outstanding diplomacy, he managed to peacefully resolve Brazil's border disputes with its South American neighbours.

Contents

Nobleman

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco Minister of Foreign Affairs

In 1889, Emperor Pedro II of Brazil granted him the Brazilian nobility title Baron of Rio Branco (Barão do Rio Branco), a few days before the Proclamation of the Republic. Rio Branco nonetheless continued to use the title throughout his life, despite governmental prohibition, because of his monarchist beliefs and in respect for his father. Being a monarchist, however, was no impediment for his success as a diplomat: the Baron of Rio Branco reached the heights of his career during the Republic, when he acted as Minister of Foreign Affairs for 10 years and settled all of Brazil's remaining border disputes by peaceful means.

Career history and legacy

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco Jos Paranhos Viscount of Rio Branco Wikipedia

Rio Branco began his political career as a congressman in the House of Commons. From 1876 on, he was the Brazilian Consul General in Liverpool, England. He was also the Brazilian Ambassador in Berlin in the beginning of the 20th century.

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco Misses de Paz

Rio Branco's most important legacy to Brazil was his successful effort, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in defining the country's borders with all of its neighbours. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1902 and retained office until 1912, under four different Presidents, a feat unequalled in Brazilian history.

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommons99

Before and during his term, he negotiated territorial disputes between Brazil and some of its neighbours and consolidated the borders of modern Brazil. He is considered one of the most prominent Brazilian statesmen ever, as his proverbial work capacity, knowledge and skills were essential for the successful outcome of difficult boundary disputes, some of which submitted to international arbitration – such as with Argentina and France –, as well as for incorporating new territory (the state of Acre, originally Bolivian).

As a mediator he negotiated and settled disputes between the United States and many European countries. On those occasions, he never abandoned his belief in diplomacy as the means to handle international matters, thus helping establish Brazil's reputation as a peace-loving nation.

Treaty of Petrópolis with Bolivia

In 1903 Rio Branco signed the Treaty of Petrópolis with Bolivia, putting an end to the dispute involving the present Brazilian state of Acre. The region was settled mostly by native Brazilians, but the Bolivian government had come close to leasing this rubber-rich area to American private entrepreneurs. Today, the state's capital bears the name Rio Branco in his honor.

Tobar-Rio Branco Treaty with Ecuador

The representative of Brazil, Don José Maria da Silva Paranhos, who was Baron of Rio Branco met the representative of Ecuador, Dr. Carlos R. Tobar, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, to peacefully discuss a final border between their countries. On May 6, 1904, an agreement was reached and the two representatives signed the Tobar-Rio Branco Treaty, in which Ecuador renounced its claims to the disputed area between the Caquetá River and the Amazon river in favour of Brazil, in return Brazil recognized Ecuador as its neighbour. The border would be a straight imaginary line that starts midpoint between the cities of Tabatinga, Brazil and Leticia, Colombia, on the Amazon River and runs north until it reaches the Caquetá River, also known as the Japurá River.

Popularity

In 1909, Rio Branco was encouraged to run for the Presidency, but he declined, as he could not envisage consensus around his name. He was very popular, however, among the people, at the time of his death, to the point of paralysing Carnival – another unparalleled feat in Brazilian history – on the day he died (February 10), when official mourning was declared. The first recorded instance of an official moment of silence dedicated to a person's death took place in Portugal on February 13, 1912. The Portuguese Senate dedicated 10 minutes of silence to the baron. This moment of silence was registered in the Senate's records of that day.

As a writer he wrote many books, dealing mostly with the history of Brazil, and was awarded prizes and occupied the 34th seat of the Brazilian Academy of Literature.

Brazil's diplomacy academy (Instituto Rio Branco) is named after the Baron. Rio Branco is portrayed on the fifty centavos coin of the Brazilian real currency.

References

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco Wikipedia