<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Ambassador Rafael Garranzo has assumed the General Secretariat of the three Council Foundations of Spain with South America, specifically with Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.</strong></h4> Rafael Garranzo replaces diplomat Carmen Fernández Torres, current Ambassador on Special Mission for the Ibero-American Summits and Ibero-American Spaces, as Secretary General of the three foundations. Fernández Torres will now be able to dedicate herself exclusively to the preparation of the XXX Ibero-American Summit, which will take place in November 2026 in Madrid. Garranzo's appointment was unanimously approved by the Boards of Trustees of the three Council Foundations. It was initially adopted on November 10th during the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Council Foundation of Spain-Brazil, held at the Iberdrola Campus in Madrid, where the new Brazilian Ambassador to Spain, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, was named Honorary Trustee. The meeting was attended by the Director General for Ibero-America and the Caribbean of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Javier Gassó. Subsequently, the new Secretary General assumed his position during the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Spain-Colombia Council Foundation, which took place on December 15 at the Telefónica District in Madrid. Also present were the State Secretary for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, Susana Sumelzo, and the Colombian Ambassador to Spain, Eduardo Ávila. At this meeting, Trinidad Jiménez was bid farewell as President of the Foundation and appointed Honorary President. Finally, Garranzo's appointment was confirmed this past Thursday, December 18, by the Board of Trustees of the Spain-Peru Council Foundation, with the participation of Susana Sumelzo and the Peruvian Ambassador to Spain, Luis Iberico. <h5><strong>Rafael Garranzo</strong></h5> Rafael Garranzo García holds a degree in Political Science and Sociology and joined the diplomatic service in April 1985. He has had an extensive career in Spain's foreign policy, particularly focused on North America, Latin America, and international disarmament. At the beginning of his diplomatic career, he held various positions in different Directorates General for Foreign Policy in North America, Asia, and the Pacific, where he served as director of several geographic and policy areas. In the late 1980s, he was appointed technical advisor in the Sub-Directorate General for North America and, shortly thereafter, assumed the position of Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala. In the early 1990s, he specialized in disarmament matters, including serving as head of the Disarmament Affairs Area in the corresponding Sub-Directorate General. Later, he was assigned to the Spanish Embassy in Rome, where he served as secretary and later as counselor. He continued his career in Latin America as cultural attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Santiago, Chile. Upon returning to Madrid in 2002, he held the positions of Deputy Director General for International Disarmament Affairs and, subsequently, Deputy Director General for Cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). After a period as an attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Washington, he was appointed Deputy Director General for North America and, later, Director of Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean at AECID. In 2014, he was appointed Spanish Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua. In 2018, he assumed the position of Director General for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, one of the most important responsibilities in Spanish foreign policy toward the region. He subsequently served as an advisor in the Technical Cabinet of the Undersecretary before being appointed, in 2021, as Spain's ambassador to Santiago, Chile, a position he held until July 2025. Throughout his diplomatic career, Rafael Garranzo has received numerous Spanish and international distinctions in recognition of his public service and his contribution to strengthening international relations. Among his Spanish decorations, the most notable are his appointment as Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2010), as well as the distinctions of Commander (2001) and Officer of the Order of Civil Merit (1991). Internationally, he has been distinguished as Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for Distinguished Services of Peru, two of the highest honors bestowed by these countries upon foreign dignitaries. The Council Foundations network comprises private, non-profit institutions whose purpose is to foster mutual understanding between Spain and other countries, improve the institutional framework of the countries in which they operate, and strengthen Spain's image abroad. Promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council Foundations are made up of public and private companies, organizations, and institutions, whose representatives serve on the various boards of trustees. The presidencies of the different Council Foundations are held by presidents and executives of major companies.
