José Maria da Silva Paranhos Júnior, best known to history as the Baron of Rio Branco (Barão do Rio Branco), remains one of the most revered statesmen in South American history. As Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1902 until his death in 1912, Rio Branco accomplished a feat almost unique in modern geopolitics: he peacefully resolved long-standing, volatile border disputes with all of Brazil's neighbors, securing approximately 900,000 square kilometers of territory—roughly 10% of Brazil’s modern landmass—without resorting to military conflict [1]. next...