Luis Ayllón
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has not taken into account the most senior diplomats to fill the so-called ‘asterisk’ positions abroad, that is, those that the Government considers most sensitive and that does not wait to fill them until they hear the opinion of the Diplomatic Career Board.
As The Diplomat learned, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Luis Cuesta, yesterday informed the Diplomatic Career Board of the names of the diplomats who will occupy the thirteen positions that had been marked with an asterisk. In recent months, many diplomats have expressed some discomfort at the high number of these destinations and surprise at the choice of some of the positions, such as the Consulate General in Los Angeles or the second head of the permanent representation before the Council of Europe. in Strasbourg, among others.
Many of these positions had been requested by diplomats who have the category of first minister or second minister, the highest, except for that of ambassador, which is usually reached at the end of the career.
Precisely, the exception is the election of Aurora Díaz Rato, current permanent representative of Spain to the United Nations Office and International Organizations in Geneva, who has the category of ambassador, and who will occupy the Consulate General in Tangier. This designation, according to the sources consulted, was criticized by some of the members of the Board, who highlighted that the current regulations establish that it is a position in which he must remain for three years and Díaz-Rato will retire in February. 2027, when he will have to leave.
Of the twenty first-class ministers who aspired to some of the “star” positions, none have achieved their objective and only four second-class ministers, of the more than thirty who sought them, have been chosen for one of those destinations. This is Raúl Bartolomé, who will go as ‘number two’ to Paris; Manuel Durán, who will also go to Paris, but as consul general; Alfonso Barnuevo, who will be the new consul general in Rabat; and the current director of the Diplomatic School, Santiago Miralles, who will go to Edinburgh as consul general.
The rest of the positions will be occupied by third-rate ministers, counselors or even first-class secretaries, such as Javier Echeandía, who has been chosen to occupy the Second Head at the Embassy in Moscow, after none of the ministers or counselors for those who the position was open opt for it, possibly due to the difficulties that their incorporation may have. Echeandía was already stationed in the Russian capital between 2014 and 2018 and speaks Russian.
Another important position that he has been awarded is that of consul general in Jerusalem, which acts as an unofficial ’embassy’ to the Palestinian Authority, and which will be occupied by Javier Gutiérrez, who was the Spanish ambassador to Ghana.
Without leaving Israel, the second head of the Embassy in Tel Aviv will be for Francisca Pedrós. And as chargé d’affaires ad interim in Damascus, Francisco Javier Puga will go, who will have his residence in Beirut, since Spain closed its Embassy in the Syrian capital.
The second head in Rome will be occupied by Manuel González Garagorri, who has been deputy director in the Cabinet of the President of the Government; and the position of deputy permanent representative in the Council of Europe (Strasbourg) will be for Carlos Lucini, who was deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finally, Gerardo Fueyo will be consul general in Los Angeles; and Rafael Reig, in Nador.
