Fernando de la Cerda

I am a practicing attorney in international relations and business with legal and diplomatic experience in the United States and Guatemala. I most recently served under three consecutive governments as Legal Counselor, Minister Counselor/ Deputy Chief of Mission for the Guatemala Embassy in the United States. In this post I successfully navigated complex and delicate negotiations between the two countries in compliance with international law, such as ways to reduce crime, ways to tackle human trafficking, transparency, and respect human rights all over the region. I am adept at managing relations with multiple stakeholders and working with different priorities at once (for example, working 14 hours a day and completing my M.A. in international law at the same time). I am also especially effective in advocacy, relationship-building, and achieving consensus and results. I am fluent in English and Spanish, with basic listening and written comprehension in French and Portuguese.

I hold a double degree in Law & Public Notary and Licentiate in Juridical and Social Sciences from Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City; an M.A. (cum laude) in International Relations and Political Studies from Universidad Francisco Marroquin; and a Master’s Degree in International Law from the Washington College of Law in American University. And, I was awarded with a complete scholarship by the British Government through the Chevening Fellowship program for postgraduate studies in Governmental Economic Reforms and Regulations at the University of Bradford in the U.K.

Prior to my diplomatic service, I worked in the private sector in Guatemala for over five years in civil and banking law, transnational litigation and arbitration. More importantly, the experience I gained working as the private secretary for the political opposition leader --from 2001 to 2004 and then from 2005 to 2007 and eventual President of Guatemala (2008-2012)- gave me the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the Presidential candidate, other political leaders and NGO’s to find ways to improve the transparency and democratic rights of all Guatemalans. As private secretary to the Presidential candidate, I worked with different players including NGO’s, Members of Congress and municipal leaders to draft his national political agenda, including freedom of information, transparency and open government. During his Presidency, as part of this political agenda I helped draft, and for the first time in the history of Guatemala, the President ordered the declassification of top secret military and police archives, crucial to investigate and try crimes and massacres committed during the civil war. The first genocide and mass atrocities trial under local courts and actors in recent history, held two-years ago in Guatemala, was a direct result of these policies implemented just a few years ago.

Moreover, I was appointed through a selective process to represent Guatemala, beginning in 2007 as a diplomat to the United States. At the beginning I was appointed Legal Counselor, moving up through different positions of increasing responsibility as the years progressed. In these roles I worked with the Guatemalan and U.S. Governments on some of the most sensitive bilateral issues demanding my skills in negotiation, communication, interpersonal and public relations. As Minister Counselor and Acting Ambassador, I had the opportunity to work closely and as a team with other Latin American countries in the region to seek solutions to similar problems, challenges and opportunities, such as crime, human trafficking, transparency, civil injustice and human right’s abuses. I was appointee the liaison between Guatemala and the U.S. Congress and had to work hand-in-hand in different bilateral issues such as different types of crimes, good governance, democracy, and human rights. Also, I worked on most of these issues s with different NGOs based in Washington DC.

I was also in charge of working for over five years with all the institutions involved in the Millennium Challenge Corporation, both in Guatemala and in the U.S., to get Guatemala the benefits of this program. For that, we needed to work on 17 different sectors, trying to improve the quality of life of all Guatemalans as well as good and effective Government and Democracy.

These educational, personal and professional experiences have allowed me to see firsthand the power of good governance, the need for transparency and the rule of law in Latin America to be able to fully develop into a prosperous region.