Guillermo Fernández de Soto
Encyclopedia
Guillermo Roque Fernández de Soto Valderrama is a Colombian lawyer and diplomat, who has served as Secretary General of the Andean Community of Nations
, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Colombia
, and Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
.
s to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
on 10 March 2004 during a ceremony at Noordeinde Palace
.
As Ambassador, his main project was defending the sovereignty
claims of Colombia over the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina after Nicaragua
presented a dispute case over the territory to the Permanent Court of Arbitration
at The Hague
. As Ambassador in The Hague
, he was Representative of Colombia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
, the Assembly of State Parties to the International Criminal Court
, the Administrative Concil of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
, and to the Common Fund for Commodities
.
and Ambassador of Colombia to Italy
, but died when Guillermo was only three years of age; Through his mother's maternal line, he is related to many Colombian politicians throughout history, including the brothers Jorge
and Carlos Holguín Mallarino
, both Presidents of Colombia. He married María Consuelo Camacho Quintero of whom he widowed, leaving three children out of this union, Ana María, Camilo, and Nicolás. On 9 July 1999, while in office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernández de Soto married Alexandra Kling Mazuera, the Advisor to the First Lady of Colombia, during a ceremony that took place in the Chapel of the Sanctuary of the Primary Cathedral of Bogotá
, and had the privilege of being wed by the Archbishop of Bogotá Monsignor
Pedro Rubiano Sáenz and having in attendance the President and First Lady, Andrés Pastrana Arango and Nohra Puyana Bickenbach, the Vice President and Second Lady Gustavo Bell Lemus and Maria Mercedes De La Espriella, and the rest of the Cabinet.
Andean Community of Nations
The Andean Community is a customs union comprising the South American countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The trade bloc was called the Andean Pact until 1996 and came into existence with the signing of the Cartagena Agreement in 1969...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also known as the Chancellery, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the foreign relations of Colombia through its diplomatic missions abroad by formulating foreign policy relevant to the matters of the State, it is...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
.
Ambassadorship
Fernández de Soto was sworn in as Ambassador of Colombia to The Netherlands by President Álvaro Uribe Vélez on 23 January 2004, and presented his credentialCredential
A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so....
s to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
on 10 March 2004 during a ceremony at Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, it has been used as the "working palace" for Queen Beatrix since 1984.-From farmhouse to palace:...
.
As Ambassador, his main project was defending the sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
claims of Colombia over the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina after Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
presented a dispute case over the territory to the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. As Ambassador in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, he was Representative of Colombia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague, Netherlands. The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits of the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction...
, the Assembly of State Parties to the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, the Administrative Concil of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
, and to the Common Fund for Commodities
Common Fund for Commodities
The Common Fund for Commodities is an inter-governmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations. It is a vestige of the proposed New International Economic Order.-External links:*...
.
Personal life
Guillermo Roque was born on in Bogotá, D.C. to Abraham Fernández de Soto Garcés and Cecilia Valderrama Holguín. His father had been a Member of the Chamber of Representatives of ColombiaChamber of Representatives of Colombia
The Chamber of Representatives is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia.The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.-How the Chamber is elected:...
and Ambassador of Colombia to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, but died when Guillermo was only three years of age; Through his mother's maternal line, he is related to many Colombian politicians throughout history, including the brothers Jorge
Jorge Holguín
Jorge Marcelo Holguín Mallarino was a Colombian politician and military officer, two time Acting President of Colombia for the periods between June, 1909 to August of the same year as interim president, and from November, 1921 to August, 1922...
and Carlos Holguín Mallarino
Carlos Holguín Mallarino
Carlos Holguín Mallarino was a Colombian lawyer, journalist and statesman who became President of Colombia between 1888 and 1892, acting in the absence of President Rafael Núñez.- Biographic data :...
, both Presidents of Colombia. He married María Consuelo Camacho Quintero of whom he widowed, leaving three children out of this union, Ana María, Camilo, and Nicolás. On 9 July 1999, while in office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernández de Soto married Alexandra Kling Mazuera, the Advisor to the First Lady of Colombia, during a ceremony that took place in the Chapel of the Sanctuary of the Primary Cathedral of Bogotá
Primary Cathedral of Bogotá
The Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogotá is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at the eastern side of Bolívar Square in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. It is seat of the Archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Mon. Pedro Rubiano Saenz....
, and had the privilege of being wed by the Archbishop of Bogotá Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Pedro Rubiano Sáenz and having in attendance the President and First Lady, Andrés Pastrana Arango and Nohra Puyana Bickenbach, the Vice President and Second Lady Gustavo Bell Lemus and Maria Mercedes De La Espriella, and the rest of the Cabinet.
Decorations
- National Order of MeritOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(Grand Officer) - France - Order if José Cecilio del Valle (Grand Cross) - Honduras
- Order of Francisco de MirandaOrder of Francisco de MirandaThe Order of Francisco de Miranda is conferred by the Republic of Venezuela in memory of Francisco de Miranda . This national honor and decoration was created to recognize Venezuelan citizens and foreigners who have contributed to the sciences, to the progress of the country, to the humanities or...
(First Class) - Venezuela - Order of the LiberatorOrder of the LiberatorThe Order of the Liberator is the highest distinction of Venezuela and is appointed for services to the country, outstading merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first from other orders, national and foreign....
(Grand Cordon) - Venezuela - Order of the Liberator General San MartinOrder of the Liberator General San MartinThe Order of the Liberator General San Martin is the highest decoration in Argentina.The Grades are:*Collar *Grand Cross *Grand Officer *Commander *Officer *Knight...
(Grand Cross) - Argentina - Order of Bernardo O'HigginsOrder of Bernardo O'HigginsThe Order of Bernardo O'Higgins is the highest state award of Chile, presented to foreign citizens. This award was established in 1965 and named after one of the founders of the Chilean state general Bernardo O'Higgins who was the leader of the struggle for independence of the Spanish colonies in...
(Grand Cross) - Chile - Order of the Merit of ChileOrder of the Merit of ChileThe Order of the Merit of Chile is a Chilean military decoration and was created in 1929. Succeeding the Medal of the Merit, it was created during the term of the President Germán Riesco through the Minister of War decree No. 1350 on September 4, 1906...
(Grand Cross) - Chile - Order of the Sun (Grand Cross) - Peru
- Order of Isabella the Catholic (Grand Cross) - Spain
- Order of Simón Bolívar (Grand Cross) - Bolivia
- Order of Honorato Vásquez (Grand Cross) -Ecuador
- Order of the Aztec EagleOrder of the Aztec EagleThe Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
(Grand Band) - Mexico - Order of Boyacá (Grand Cross) - Colombia
- Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Grand Cross) -Panama
- Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
(Grand Cross) - The Netherlands