Alicia Bárcena, former head of ECLAC, will be the new chancellor of Mexico

Alicia Bárcena, former executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America (Cepal) and current Mexican ambassador to Chile, will be the new Mexican foreign minister, replacing Marcelo Ebrardwho resigned to seek the candidacy for the presidency.

“Alicia Bárcena, she is going to be the next Secretary of Foreign Relations. In 10 days because she is the ambassador of Mexico in Chile. She has a very extensive career in the field of diplomacy, she is a very intelligent woman, capable”, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said this Tuesday when making the announcement.

barcenaborn in Mexico City in 1952, was the head of ECLAC from 2008 to March 2022, a period in which she established herself as the most influential secretary since the time of Raul PrebischArgentine who led the organization between 1950 and 1963.

In his morning press conference, López Obrador highlighted the career of Bárcena, who is a graduate of the Faculty of Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, in addition to three doctorates. honoris causa in different institutions.

The president also pointed out his role as executive secretary of ECLAC for almost 15 years, for which “is widely known throughout Latin America and the Caribbean”, as he stated.

He also highlighted that he worked in “multiple positions in the United Nations Organization” during the Kofi Annan Administration (1997-2006) and as Assistant Secretary General for Administration during the Ban Ki-moon period (2007-2016).

Meanwhile, as ambassador of Chilihe pointed out, one of his tasks has been the commemoration of Mexico’s solidarity 50 years after the coup and the prominent role of President Salvador Allende (1970-1973).

Likewise, it supported the commemoration of the 100 years of Gabriela Mistral’s journey to Mexico.

“And as an ambassador, she has been working on economic cooperation with the sister country of Chile, she will be in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”, he concluded.

The change in the Foreign Ministry occurs after the resignation of Ebrard, who left office on Monday to focus on seeking the candidacy for the presidency in the June 2024 elections for the ruling party, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena).

Morena, founded by López Obrador, announced last Sunday that on September 6 it will reveal who will be the party’s candidate after opinion polls that will be held from August 28 to September 3, for which the candidates will begin political tours of the country at starting next Monday.

Source: EFE