He was married to Maria do Carmo Mellão de Abreu Sodré, who died on January 24, 2012, who was president of the Social Solidarity Fund, which she encouraged her husband to create as soon as he took over the São Paulo government in 1967.

[2] His father, Francisco Sodré, was the second mayor of the municipality of Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo and was responsible for the arrival of the Sorocabana Railway tracks.

During this period, Abreu Sodré began water supply works for the Cantareira System, in the North Zone of the City of São Paulo; In public security, during this period the state security force, then called Public Force, was renamed the Military Police; in addition to the name, the institution began to receive instructions and apparatus from the Army, DOI-CODI and other institutions linked to the military regime at the time.

In the Nova República, Abreu Sodré was Minister of Foreign Affairs during most of José Sarney's presidency (1986–1990), being succeeded by Francisco Rezek.

During his term as foreign minister, Brazil resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1986, which had been severed since 1964, appointing Ítalo Zappa as ambassador.