The Diplomat
Diplomat Jesús Silva has been awarded the Medal of Honour of the World Jurist Association (WJA) for his work as ambassador to Venezuela between March 2017 and November 2020. The president of the WJA, Javier Cremades, stressed that this is a recognition “for his courageous defense of the values of freedom, human rights and democracy, in extreme circumstances, during his responsibility as ambassador of Spain in Venezuela.”
Cremades added, during the presentation of the award last Tuesday in Oslo, that “Silva connects with the best tradition of Spanish diplomats who were able to take risks to protect the life and dignity of people”.
Silva, who is currently consul general in Cape Town, was ambassador to Caracas during a particularly convulsive period in the Venezuelan political scene. In April 2019, he hosted at his residence the opposition political leader Leopoldo López, who was claimed by the government of Nicolás Maduro after previously escaping from house arrest.
