The Diplomat
The Ibero-American Secretary General, Rebeca Grynspan, during her official visit to the Dominican Republic, on Friday appointed Dominican chef María Marte, Ibero-American Ambassador of Culture, in a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, which was also attended by the Foreign Minister, Roberto Álvarez, and the Minister of Culture, Carmen Heredia.
This designation underlines the role of gastronomy in the culture and identity of Ibero-America and recognises Marte’s exceptional career, developed in Spain and the Dominican Republic, as well as her role as an entrepreneur in social projects.
As Ibero-American Ambassador of Culture, the chef joins Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler and Brazilian singer, percussionist and producer Carlinhos Brown, appointed in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
With these designations, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) recognises the careers of outstanding personalities in the fields of culture, education, science and cooperation who represent the values and diversity of Ibero-America.
Born on 22 December 1978 in the Dominican Republic, María Marte began working in 2003 as a cleaner at the El Club Allard restaurant in Madrid, where she rose to become its head, maintaining the establishment’s excellence and two Michelin stars.
“People have a destiny and mine was to land in the right country and in the right kitchen. I started my career, with no previous training, with a lot of hard work and sacrifice. It has been a long journey of learning and a very satisfying one,” said the chef.
In 2014, Marte won the National Gastronomy Award for Best Head Chef, awarded by the Royal Academy of Gastronomy of Spain and the Brotherhood of the Good Table. In 2017, as executive chef at El Club Allard, she received the prestigious Eckart Witzigmann International Award (ECKART) in the Innovation category.
In early 2018, Marte announced her decision to return to her country to launch a social integration project: training low-income youth in gastronomy and hospitality, and initiating a programme to save native edible plants from extinction.
The Dominican Republic hosted the appointment of Marte as Ibero-American Ambassador of Culture in her capacity as Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Conference. The country will host the next Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2022, whose motto will be “Together for a fair and sustainable Ibero-America”.
