Brazilian Ukrainian Leonardo Maciura wins national diplomatic competition

Leonardo Maciura Beltrame, a Ukrainian by origin, has won Brazil’s national diplomatic competition, announced Vitório Sorotiuk, President of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR).

Beltrame comes from the Ukrainian community in the city of Curitiba. “A diplomatic career in Brazil is highly competitive. It’s one of the toughest civil service exams. Starting a diplomatic career is already a great achievement. But taking first place is an extraordinary accomplishment. This award highlights the Ukrainian community. That’s what it represents,” said Sorotiuk.

The diplomat received a medal from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “I was so proud to see him receive the medal for first place in Brazil’s diplomatic competition from the hands of the president and the foreign minister. Regardless of their ideals and political views, the significance of this event lies in its symbolic meaning and the memorable recognition of someone who has studied hard and dedicated themselves,” shared Elizabeth Maciura, Leonardo Maciura’s mother.

Celso Amorim, Chief Advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Ricardo Lewandowski, Minister of Justice and Public Security of Brazil, army and navy officials, and ambassadors from Brazil and other countries attended the graduation ceremony.

Leonardo engaged in a diverse and enriching educational experience during his one-and-a-half-year tenure at the Rio Branco Institute. He attended lectures delivered by numerous foreign ministers and chancellors, spent two months working at the Brazilian Embassy in Suriname, and welcomed several high-profile international figures to Brazil. These included U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, French President Emmanuel Macron, and delegations from Türkiye, Venezuela, and Bolivia.

“Like Leonardo’s journey, it’s wonderful to see so many other young colleagues graduating with such great responsibility to represent our country, with the special goal of promoting peace and unity among nations,” concluded Elizabeth Maciura.