Guillermo Fernández de Soto

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.

Contents

Ambassadorship

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.

Personal life

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]

Decorations

References

  1. ^ a b "Fernández de Soto Asumio Como Nuevo Embajador de Colombia en La Haya [Fernández de Soto Was Sworn In As New Ambassador of Colombia to The Hague]" (in Spanish). Bogotá: SNE-Casa de Nariño. 2004-01-23. http://www.presidencia.gov.co/sne/2004/enero/23/02232004.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-29. 
  2. ^ "Geloofsbrieven ambassadeurs Colombia, Australië en Togo [Ambassadors of Colombia, Australia, and Togo Present Credentials]" (in Dutch). Dutch Royal House. 2004-03. http://archief.koninklijkhuis.nl/Actueel/Nieuwsberichten/Nieuwsarchief/2004/maart/Geloofsbrieven_ambassadeurs_Colombia_Australie_en_Togo. Retrieved 2010-10-29. 
  3. ^ a b Sierra Montoya, Jorge Emilio (2004). "19. Fernández de Soto, Guillermo: Un Canciller Enfrente de la Comunidad Andina [19. Fernández de Soto, Guillermo: A Chancellor at the Forefront of the Andean Community]" (in Spanish). 50 protagonistas de la economía colombiana [50 Protagonists of the Colombian Economy]. Bogotá: Jorge Tadeo Lozano University. pp. 161–162. ISBN 9789589029619. OCLC 254600966. http://books.google.com/books?id=CP2Cf-Qvov8C&pg=PA160. Retrieved 2010-10-29. Lay summary. 
  4. ^ "Boda Kling Mazuera & Fernández de Soto Valderrama [Kling Mazuera & Fernández de Soto Valderrama Wedding]" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. 1999-07-14. http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-921357. Retrieved 2010-10-29. 
  5. ^ "Reina Beatríz condecora al Embajador Fernández de Soto [Queen Beatrix decorated Ambassador Fernández de Soto]" (in Spanish). The Hague: Embassy of Colombia in The Netherlands. 2007-10-17. http://www.colombiaemb.nl/condecoracion.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-29.