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The Presidency makes foreign policy in consultation with the Foreign Ministry,represented by its Secretary-General, and on occasion by senior diplomats on theirown geographical areas of expertise. While PT itself does not feature in aninstitutional sense during the foreign policymaking process, certain major PTfigureheads retain some influence on the foreign policymaking process. Amongthese, in addition to the President and his international affairs adviser, is thedisgraced former Presidential Chief-of-Staff José Dirceu, 282 who is known to holdanti-America and anti-free trade positions 283 and is a key figure in PT.The post of foreign affairs adviser in the Presidency has traditionally been occupiedby a senior diplomat. 284 This created a ‘natural bridge’ to the Foreign Ministry, asthe office-holder would serve as a source of information for the President, in analmost perfunctory role. Under the Lula administration, since 2006, this position hasinstead been held by a member of the PT leadership, Professor Marco AurélioGarcia. Garcia had previously served as interim leader of PT, and had been proactivein “defining and even implementing certain lines of Lula’s foreign policy”. 285Strictly speaking, neither the President’s Special Adviser for International Affairs,nor the Secretary-General of Itamaraty have historically had substantive roles informing or implementing foreign policy. 286 Where the Secretary-General has playeda role in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy, this has mainlyserved to support the diplomatic process. This departure under the Lulaadministration had reverberations within the foreign policy establishment, leading toearly rumours of discord between Garcia and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. Adivision of labour later evolved, which saw Garcia take responsibility for the moredelicate ‘ideological’ aspects of Brazil’s foreign policy, such as relations with HugoChavez, and other issues involving fellow ‘Leftist’ governments of South America;while Amorim dealt with ‘technical’ aspects relating to international trade282 Personal communication with a senior Brazilian diplomat.283 See personal blog of Jose Dirceu: http://www.zedirceu.co.br284 Rex A. Hudson, Brazil: A Country Study. Washington GPO for the Library ofCongress: Washington, DC (1997). Accessed online at: http://countrystudies.us/brazil/on 20 April, 2010. The last time a non-diplomat held this post was during the Kubitschekpresidency (1956-60), when it was held by the poet Augusto Frederico Schmidt.Vigevani and Cepaluni, “Lula’s Foreign Policy”,1316.285 Paulo Roberto Almeida, “Uma nova ‘arquitetura’ diplomática? – Interpretaçõesdivergentes sobre a política externa do governo Lula (2003-2006)”, Revista Brasileira dePolítica Internacional, 49, No.1 (2005): 97.286 Almeida, “Uma nova ‘arquitetura’ diplomática?”.128