WASHINGTON, USA – The new Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the Organization of American States (OAS), Claudia Escobar, on Tuesday, presented her credentials to the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, during a ceremony that took place at the Organization’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
In her speech, ambassador Escobar expressed on behalf of the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, and the people of her country “our deepest and sincere gratitude for the constant support we have received from this Organization and its member states,” recognizing that the OAS “played a crucial role in supporting the democratic transition in Guatemala, ensuring that our electoral process was transparent, fair, and respectful of popular freedom.” Likewise, the ambassador reiterated her country’s willingness “to continue collaborating closely with the member states and the General Secretariat. We are committed to the ideal of a region where freedom, peace, democracy and respect for human rights prevail.”
For his part, the secretary-general, Luis Almagro, recalled that Guatemala “is a founding member of the OAS and has always been actively linked to the fulfillment of our four fundamental pillars, which are the defense and promotion of democracy, human rights, hemispheric security and integral development,” and reiterated “our firm desire to continue supporting your government and the Guatemalan people in everything that is required of us.”
Ambassador Claudia Escobar is a former magistrate on the Court of Appeals of her country, and founder of the board of directors of Be JUST, dedicated to promoting the rule of law and supporting anti-corruption initiatives. In 2017, she received the prestigious Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy.