<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Instituto Cervantes has appointed new directors for its centers in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Curitiba, Dublin, Manchester-Leeds, Recife, and Tunis.</strong></h4> According to a press release issued last Wednesday by the Spanish cultural diplomacy institution, the director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, has appointed, at the proposal of the Secretary General, Carmen Noguero, and with the approval of the Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World and President of the Board of Directors, Susana Sumelzo, seven new directors of the institution's centers. These are Javier Muñoz-Basols, directors of Los Angeles (USA); Carlos Madrid, directors of Albuquerque (USA); Francisco de Asís Ayala, directors of Curitiba (Brazil); Francisco Oda, directors of Dublin (Ireland); Martín López-Vega, directors of Manchester-Leeds (UK); Recife (Brazil), Luis Ángel Macías; and Tunis, Marina Alonso. “The appointments of the new directors of the Instituto Cervantes, made after a public selection process, reflect the commitment to value the background, knowledge, and internal experience of the institution's professionals, as well as to emphasize and promote the incorporation of renowned international specialists in the teaching of the Spanish language,” the press release continues. The Instituto Cervantes is the public institution created by Spain in 1991 to universally promote the teaching, study, and use of Spanish and to contribute to the dissemination of Hispanic cultures abroad. Reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Instituto Cervantes is present in more than 100 cities in 54 countries on five continents, through its centers, classrooms, and outreach centers. The Instituto Cervantes currently has 77 centers worldwide in 44 countries: 37 in Europe (five in Germany, four in France and Italy, three in the United Kingdom, two in Poland, and one each in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, and Turkey), fifteen in the Americas (eight in Brazil, six in the United States, and one in Canada), twelve in Africa (six in Morocco, two in Algeria, two in Egypt, one in Tunisia, and one in Senegal—the only one in sub-Saharan Africa), ten in Asia and Oceania (two in China and one each in Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, India, Japan, and Indonesia), and three in the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon). The center in Syria is temporarily closed. It also has two locations in Spain: the central one in Madrid and the one in Alcalá de Henares.
