Insider

Biden appoints Democratic Party fundraiser to embassy in Brazil

ambassador us brazil
In a photo from 2013, Elizabeth Bagley (in the pink suit) speaks with philanthropist Adrienne Arsht (left) and Mauro Vieira, who served as the Brazilian ambassador to Washington at the time. Photo: Atlantic Council/Flickr

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday the nomination of Elizabeth Bagley, a long-standing fundraiser and supporter of the Democratic Party, to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. An attorney specializing in trade and international law, she was an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University in Washington until January 1993, and later held numerous positions within the U.S. Department of State.

“Elizabeth Bagley has worked in diplomacy and law for over four decades. Her diplomatic experience includes serving as senior advisor to secretaries of state John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Madeleine Albright. She has also worked as a special representative to the United Nations General Assembly, special representative for global partnerships, and ambassador to Portugal,” said the White House, in a statement.

According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Ms. Bagley contributed to the campaigns of several Democrats in recent years, including Mr. Biden himself, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ms. Bagley is the owner and current board member of SBI., a cellular communications company in Arizona.

Telecoms are an issue of particular importance for U.S. diplomacy, as Brazil is setting up 5G networks after a successful auction of available frequencies in November.