A diplomat and one of the most important names in the Brazilian literature. He has been acclaimed by the critics for his prize-winner novels, some of which have been published in Argentina, Spain, United States, France, Italy, Mexico and other countries. His work on political philosophy and history are reference for researches of authoritarianism and democracy. He completed his PhD in Paris, being tutored by the philosopher Claude Lefort. He has taught at UNAM (Mexico), UnB, Instituto Rio Branco, Berkeley, Stanford and the University of Chicago. In 2017 he became a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.