President Santiago Peña officially proposed the appointment of Estefanía Laterza de los Ríos as the new ambassador of Paraguay to the United States. The request for constitutional agreement was sent to the Senate on Friday, as stipulated by the Constitution for appointments of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors.
Laterza de los Ríos, who has held the rank of ambassador since 2018, is a career diplomat with over 30 years of experience. She currently heads the Carlos Antonio López Diplomatic and Consular Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for training Paraguay's diplomatic service.
Her extensive career includes roles in public administration and multilateral organizations. She served as Vice Minister of Investments and Exports at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and held positions as Secretary-General and Director of Multilateral Policy at the Foreign Ministry. In the multilateral sector, she acted as director and representative of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) in Brazil, managing a project portfolio exceeding US$3.5 billion.
The appointment aims to fill the vacancy left by Gustavo Leite, a senator from the ruling Colorado Party (ANR), who resigned from the diplomatic post on July 22 to resume his term in the Senate after less than a year leading the embassy in Washington.
The nomination now depends on the analysis and approval of the Paraguayan Senate. If it obtains constitutional agreement, Laterza will assume representation at a time considered crucial for the bilateral agenda, covering political, commercial, security, and cooperation issues. The choice of a professional from the diplomatic career marks a change in profile compared to her predecessor, who came directly from parliamentary political activity.