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Painting of Oswaldo Aranha

Oswaldo Euclides de Souza Aranha (1894-1960) was a Brazilian politician, diplomat and statesman.

Born in Brazil in the city of Alegrete (state of Rio Grande do Sul), he was a Bachelor of juridical and Social Sciences. Aranha obtained his degree in law through the Law University of Rio de Janeiro (Faculdade de Direito do Rio de Janeiro) in 1916. After his graduation, he returned to the state of Rio Grande do Sul to exercise himself as a lawyer, establishing then a personal and professional contact with Getúlio Vargas, who was also a lawyer.

Aranha fought the insurrection of 1923, deflagrated by sectors that opposed the fifth consecutive re election of Borges de Medeiros for the government of the state. By personally commanding an irregular armed force composed by civilians, Aranha fought new uprisings promoted by the opposition in the upcoming years. Aranha started his political career in 1925, when he was named Mayor of his native town by Borges de Medeiros until 1927. Later on was elected representative in his State legislature.

He subsequently became Foreign Minister and it was under Mr. Aranha's guidance as Minister of External Relations that Brazil took part in the first three consultative meetings of the Ministers of External Relations of the American Republics which defined Pan- policy during the early stages of the Second World War and worked out the recommendation for the collective severance of diplomatic relations with the Axis Powers.

He leaded two assemblies of the United Nations.

• Oswaldo Aranha (United Nations Website): http://www.un.org/ga/55/president/bio02.htm
• Cover of the TIME Magazine Jan, 19 1942: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/archive/covers/0,16641,1101420119,00.html