| Guillermo Fernández de Soto | |
|---|---|
| Colombia Ambassador to The Netherlands | |
| In office 10 March 2004 – 17 October 2007 |
|
| President | Álvaro Uribe Vélez |
| Preceded by | Vladimiro Naranjo Mesa |
| Succeeded by | Francisco José Lloreda Mera |
| 2nd Secretary General of the Andean Community of Nations | |
| In office 7 July 2002 – 15 January 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Sebastián Alegrett |
| Succeeded by | Edward Allan Wagner Tizón |
| Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 7 August 1998 – 7 August 2002 |
|
| President | Andrés Pastrana Arango |
| Preceded by | Camilo Reyes Rodríguez |
| Succeeded by | Carolina Barco Isakson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Guillermo Roque Fernández de Soto Valderrama Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | María Consuelo Camacho Quintero (widowed) Alexandra Kling Mazuera (1999-divorced) |
| Children | Ana María Fernández de Soto Camacho Camilo Fernández de Soto Camacho Nicolás Fernández de Soto Camacho Juan Fernández de Soto Kling |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Xavierian University (PhD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Guillermo Roque Fernández de Soto Valderrama is a Colombian lawyer and diplomat, who has served as Secretary General of the Andean Community of Nations, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, and Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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Fernández de Soto was sworn in as Ambassador of Colombia to The Netherlands by President Álvaro Uribe Vélez on 23 January 2004,[1] and presented his credentials to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 10 March 2004 during a ceremony at Noordeinde Palace.[2]
As Ambassador, his main project was defending the sovereignty claims of Colombia over the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina after Nicaragua presented a dispute case over the territory to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.[1] As Ambassador in The Hague, he was Representative of Colombia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Assembly of State Parties to the International Criminal Court, the Administrative Concil of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and to the Common Fund for Commodities.
Guillermo Roque was born on in Bogotá, D.C. to Abraham Fernández de Soto Garcés and Cecilia Valderrama Holguín. His father had been a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia and Ambassador of Colombia to Italy, but died when Guillermo was only three years of age;[3] Through his mother's maternal line, he is related to many Colombian politicians throughout history, including the brothers Jorge and Carlos Holguín Mallarino, both Presidents of Colombia.[3] He married María Consuelo Camacho Quintero of whom he widowed, leaving three children out of this union, Ana María, Camilo, and Nicolás. On 9 July 1999, while in office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernández de Soto married Alexandra Kling Mazuera, the Advisor to the First Lady of Colombia, during a ceremony that took place in the Chapel of the Sanctuary of the Primary Cathedral of Bogotá, and had the privilege of being wed by the Archbishop of Bogotá Monsignor Pedro Rubiano Sáenz and having in attendance the President and First Lady, Andrés Pastrana Arango and Nohra Puyana Bickenbach, the Vice President and Second Lady Gustavo Bell Lemus and Maria Mercedes De La Espriella, and the rest of the Cabinet.[4]