Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti

Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti (born 27 March 1954) is a Brazilian diplomat and the current Ambassador of Brazil to the United States. Previously, she was Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary General António Guterres. Viotti was the Ambassador of Brazil to Germany from 2013 until 2016, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations from 2007 until 2013, and President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of February 2011. She is married to Eduardo Baumgratz Viotti and has a son. and its denial of visas to several US officials who planned visits with Brazilian coup leader Jair Bolsonaro, his son, opposition candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and others to discuss election security in advance of its October 2026 presidential elections. The official indicated Viotti's visa could be restored once Brazil agreed to accept Perez nomination. The Brazilian government called the visa revocation a "deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, driven by ideological motives."

Education Viotti has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Brasília, which she received in 1979. She has a post-graduate degree in the same subject, which she completed in 1981, from the same university. She attended the Rio Branco Institute, the Brazilian diplomatic academy.

Diplomatic career Viotti joined the Brazilian Foreign Service in 1976. She held several positions within the Ministry of External Relations, including: Viotti presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 25 July 2007. Viotti was the President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of February 2011, when Brazil held the rotating presidency of the Council. Viotti was succeeded by Luiz Alberto Figueiredo on 16 January 2013.

At the end of 2015, Viotti was appointed as a future candidate to the post of Secretary-General of the UN. Being a close friend of several Permanent Representatives for decades; having played an important part in assuring the stability and conciliation of political forces in Afghanistan; and having long worked for human rights advances and social development in the poorest countries, she was the Brazilian favorite.

"As a multidimensional threat, terrorism must be addressed from a holistic approach that takes into consideration the diversity of its underlying causes. Radicalism and violence often stem from longstanding social, political, economic and cultural exclusion, amidst which a culture of intolerance may thrive. Development and inclusiveness are key tools to combat terrorism".

From 2016, Viotti served as Under-Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she had special responsibility for work on BRICS.

Career with the United Nations In December 2016, incoming UN Secretary General António Guterres appointed her as his Chef de Cabinet.

Other activities United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), chair of the board of governors