Carolyn Rodrigues

Carolyn Rodrigues
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 April 2008
Preceded by Rudy Insanally
Personal details
Born 16 September 1973
Moruca, Barima-Waini Region
Nationality Guyanese
Alma mater University of Regina
University of Guyana

Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett (born September 16, 1973[1]) is a Guyanese politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since April 2008.[2]

Life and career

Rodrigues, an Amerindian,[3] was born in Moruca, Barima-Waini Region. After attending a private school in Georgetown,[1] she received a scholarship for Amerindians[3] and went to study business administration at the University of Regina in Canada and returned to Guyana in 1993.[1] She was required by her scholarship to work for Amerindian communities, and as a result she left the lumber company where she worked and instead went to work for the Inter-American Development Bank's Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) in Guyana, although this meant 65% less pay.[3] She became Coordinator of SIMAP's Amerindian Projects Programme, holding that post until 2001, when she went to study in social work at the University of Guyana.[1]

Rodrigues was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Amerindian Affairs in April 2001. Following the 2006 general election, she was reappointed as Minister of Amerindian Affairs and sworn in on September 4, 2006.[4] After seven years as Minister of Amerindian Affairs, she was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs on April 9, 2008, replacing Rudy Insanally.[2] She was sworn in on April 10.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Meet the New Cabinet Members", GINA.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Rodrigues appointed Foreign Affairs Minister", GINA, April 9, 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 David Mangurian, "The "Iron Woman" of Guyana", IBDAmerica, August 2001.
  4. ↑ "President swears-in first two Ministers", GINA, September 4, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Two new Ministers sworn in before President Jagdeo", GINA, April 10, 2008.

See also