Paulino José Soares de Sousa, the Viscount of Uruguai (4 October 1808 – 15 July 1866), was a
congressman, a
senator, a State Councillor and a skilful
diplomat.
Born in Paris, he distinguished himself during the 1850s when, as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Brazil, he organized the Brazilian Diplomatic Corps and structured the entire Brazilian policy of intervention in the
River Plate against
Juan Manuel de Rosas from
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and
Manuel Oribe from
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
.
A cautious diplomat, he knew how to take advantage of favourable circumstances, excluding unilateral action by Brazil and acting only at the request of the constitutional governments in the region. Success also came from his part in Franco-English involvement. He took on the financial burden incurred by France in maintaining the government of
Montevideo and in relation to England, took steps towards the abolition of the slave traffic, creating favourable conditions for involvement by Brazil and its allies. In Paris in 1855 he negotiated the issue of Brazilian borders with
French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...
, which resulted in the matter being finally resolved in 1900, by the
Baron of Rio Branco
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
.
The Viscount died in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, aged 58.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sousa, Paulino Soares De
1808 births
1866 deaths
Conservative Party (Brazil) politicians
Foreign ministers of Brazil
Finance Ministers of Brazil
Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Empire of Brazil)
Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
Presidents of the Senate of the Empire of Brazil
Brazilian monarchists
Brazilian nobility
Ministers of Justice of Brazil