Ambassador Ernesto Henrique Fraga Araújo holds a degree in Language Studies from the University of Brasília. In 1990, he joined the Rio Branco Institute (Brazilian Diplomatic Academy). In the early years of his career, he worked on regional integration and Mercosur affairs. Between 1995 and 2003, he served at the Mission to the European Communities in Brussels and at the Embassy of Brazil in Germany. Upon his return to Brazil, in 2003, he worked at the Services, Investments and Financial Affairs Division, which he chaired as of 2004. In 2005, he became head of the European Union and Extra-regional Negotiations Division. From 2007, he was posted at the embassies in Ottawa (2007-2010) and Washington (2010-2015) where he served as deputy head of the Mission. From 2015 to 2016, he was deputy chief of staff of the minister of foreign affairs. In 2016, he was appointed director of the United States, Canada and Inter-American Affairs Department, a position he held until he was nominated minister of foreign affairs. He has published the books Mercosul Hoje (Mercosur Today), co-authored with Sergio de Abreu and Lima Florêncio, and three works of fiction. He was born in Porto Alegre in 1967. He is married, has one daughter and two stepchildren.