Patricia Eugenia Cárdenas Santa María

Patricia Eugenia Cárdenas Santa María
Colombia Ambassador to Japan
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 March 2007
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Preceded by Francisco José Sierra Arango
Colombia Ambassador to Singapore
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 July 2007
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Preceded by Francisco José Sierra Arango
6th Colombia Ambassador to Australia
In office
31 May 2007 – 30 April 2008
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Preceded by Francisco José Sierra Arango
Succeeded by Diego Betancur Álvarez
6th Colombia Ambassador to New Zealand
In office
17 July 2007 – 17 February 2009
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Preceded by Francisco José Sierra Arango
Succeeded by Diego Betancur Álvarez
Personal details
Born 1 April 1958 (1958-04-01) (age 53)
Nationality Colombian
Spouse(s) Ricardo Sala Gaitán (divorced)
Relations Mauricio Cárdenas Santa María (brother)
Children María Paula Sala Cárdenas
Ana Daniela Sala Cárdenas
Juan Felipe Sala Cárdenas
Alma mater University of the Andes (BSc, 1983)
Profession Industrial Engineer
Religion Roman Catholic
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Cárdenas and the second or maternal family name is Santa María.

Patricia Eugenia Cárdenas Santa María is the current Ambassador of Colombia to Japan and Non-Resident Ambassador to Singapore, she had also served as Non-Resident Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand until the reopening of the Colombian Embassy in Canberra in 2008. An industrial engineer, she was President of the Banking and Financial Institutions Association of Colombia from 2000 to 2006.

Ambassadorship

On 19 December 2006 President Álvaro Uribe Vélez appointed Cárdenas Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to the State of Japan accredited as Non-Resident Ambassador to the Commonwealth of Australia, the Republic of Singapore, and New Zealand.[1] Cárdenas presented her Letters of Credence to His Imperial Majesty Akihito, Emperor of Japan, on 17 March 2007 at a ceremony at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, to His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of Australia, on 31 May 2007 at Government House, Canberra,[2] to His Excellency Sellapan Ramanathan, President of Singapore, on 26 July 2007 at the Istana,[3] and to The Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor-General of New Zealand on 17 July 2007 at Government House, Wellington.[4]

In 2008 Colombia reopened its Embassy in Australia and named Diego Betancur Álvarez Ambassador of Colombia to Australia, formally taking the representation of Colombia to Australia and New Zealand from Ambassador Cárdenas who remained Ambassador to Japan and Singapore.

Personal life

She was born on 1 April 1958 to Jorge Cardenas Gutierrez, former President of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, and his wife Cecilia Santamaría Botero. She married, and later divorced, Ricardo Sala Gaitán and together had three children: María Paula, Ana Daniela, and Juan Felipe.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Cuarto Oscuro" (in Spanish). Office of the President of Colombia (SNE). 2006-12-19. http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa_new/fotos/2006/diciembre/19/foto1.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-05. "A las 9 de la mañana de hoy tomó posesión ante el presidente de la República, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, la nueva embajadora de Colombia ante el gobierno de Japón, Patricia Cárdenas Santa María." 
  2. ^ "Governor-General's Program" (in English). 2007-05-31. http://www.gg.gov.au/program.php/view/id/1477/title/on-thursday-31-may-2007-at-government-house-canberra-the-governor-general-his-excellency-major-general-michael-jeffery-ac-cvo-mc-received-the-leader-of-the-opposition-mr-kevin-rudd-mp. Retrieved 2011-09-05. "Afterwards, the Governor-General received from Her Excellency Mrs Patricia Eugenia Cardenas Santamaria, Letters of Credence accrediting her as Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia." 
  3. ^ "Presentation of Credentials" (in English). Singapore, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2007-07-26. http://app.mfa.gov.sg/2006/lowRes/press/view_press.asp?post_id=2871. Retrieved 2011-09-05. 
  4. ^ "Envoys from Brazil, Malta and Columbia present their credentials" (in English). Website of the Governor-General of New Zealand. 2007-07-16. http://gg.govt.nz/node/277. Retrieved 2011-09-05. "The Ambassadors of Brazil and Colombia and the High Commissioner of Malta present credentials to the Governor-General, the Hon Anand Satyanand, at Government House Wellington on Tuesday 17 July at 11.30 am." 
  5. ^ Gallo Martínez, Luis Álvaro (2005-01-05). "Don Marcelino Restrepo y Restrepo: Su Vida y Su Descendencia [Don Marcelino Restrepo y Restrepo: His Life and His Offspring]" (in Spanish). Asociación Colombiana Para el Estudio de las Genealogías. http://genealogias.tallerdigital.net/pdfs/Marcel.pdf.