He holds a Ph.D. in History and Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Human Sciences, as a professor at the University of Brasilia since 1977 he worked as a legislative consultant to the Federal Senate of Brazil (1985-1998). He has actively participated in the constitutional process of 1987 as coordinator of the Legislative Consultants General Rapporteur of the Brazilian Constituent Assembly. He has been Secretary of Legislative Affairs Federal Ministry of Justice (1990-1992) and Secretary of State for Administration of Justice, Ministry of Justice (1992-1993). Published books in Portuguese Culture and Power (2002) and Visions of Brazil and Latin America (2003), with codirector of Volume IX of the General History of Latin America, entitled Theory and Methodology in the History of Latin America.