Estefanía Laterza de los Ríos took office on Friday, September 4, 2026, as Paraguay’s extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to the United States. The ceremony took place at the Palacio de López in Asunción, in the presence of President Santiago Peña, Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and Chamber of Deputies President Raúl Latorre.
Appointed by Peña, Laterza received the Senate’s constitutional approval and replaces Gustavo Leite, who left the embassy in Washington to return to the Senate. The nomination faced opposition from Colorado Party sectors, including party figures based in the United States, who questioned the diplomat’s lack of party affiliation. The Senate nevertheless approved the appointment.
Laterza said she intends to turn the current period of closer ties between Asunción and Washington into a lasting policy. “The idea is for this moment not to be simply a moment, but to become a long-range agenda,” she said.
The work plan presented to the Senate has an initial two-year phase and six areas: political relations; the economic and trade agenda; security and defense; science and innovation; education; support for Paraguayans living in the United States or maintaining ties with the country; and public diplomacy, described as a way to connect Paraguayan communities, universities and research centers.
Among the priorities is strengthening contacts with the United States Congress, which takes part in decisions on the budget and cooperation. Laterza also intends to support trade negotiations and expand the presence of Paraguayan products. The goal of attracting investment in technology, job creation and sustainable development was attributed to the diplomat in statements published by Forbes Paraguay.
The ambassador said that Washington had come to view Paraguay not only as a bilateral partner but also as a country with regional reach. The agenda will be pursued during a period of strengthened cooperation between the governments of Peña and Donald Trump, covering political, trade, migration and defense issues, as well as a Safe Third Country Agreement—under which a country may be considered safe for receiving certain protection seekers—a migration memorandum of understanding and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which governs the status of US military personnel or forces in Paraguay.
Regarding criticism of her appointment, Laterza said it was part of democratic debate. “Paraguay is a pluralist democracy where the Constitution protects everyone’s rights,” she said, defending the preservation of freedoms and institutional guarantees.