Isabel Saint Malo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado
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Saint Malo in 2016
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| Vice President of Panama | |
| In office 1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019 |
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| President | Juan Carlos Varela |
| Preceded by | Juan Carlos Varela |
| Succeeded by | José Gabriel Carrizo |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama | |
| In office 1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019 |
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| President | Juan Carlos Varela |
| Preceded by | Francisco Álvarez de Soto |
| Succeeded by | Alejandro Ferrer López |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Isabel Cecilia de Saint Malo García
27 June 1968 Panama City, Panama |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Omar A. Alvarado D. |
| Children | Alberto, Carolina and Julio Raul Alvarado de Saint Malo |
| Alma mater | Saint Joseph's University B. A. and Nova Southeastern University M. B. A. |
Isabel de Saint Malo García de Alvarado, born on June 27, 1968, is a politician and diplomat from Panama. She served as the Vice President of Panama and Minister of Foreign Affairs from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. She ran alongside Juan Carlos Varela, who became president. Their team was an alliance of the Panameñista Party and the People's Party.
Isabel de Saint Malo made history in Panama. She was the first woman ever elected as Vice President. She was also the first woman to be appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Panama. She has a lot of experience with global issues. She works to improve human development, promote gender equality, and help end poverty. She also works to reduce social inequality.
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About Isabel de Saint Malo
Isabel de Saint Malo was born in 1968 in Panama City, Panama. She is the oldest child of Raul and Florencia de Saint Malo. She has two younger siblings. She went to elementary and middle school in Panama. Later, she finished high school in Philadelphia, USA.
Education and Family Life
Saint Malo graduated from Saint Joseph's University in 1989. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. In 1995, she also earned a Master in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.
In 1993, she married Omar A. Alvarado D.. He is a banker and investor from Panama. They live in Panama City and have three children. Their children are named Alberto, Carolina Isabel, and Julio Raul.
Her Career Journey
Isabel de Saint Malo has had an important career. She has worked for international organizations and in government.
Work at the United Nations
Before becoming a politician, Isabel Saint Malo worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She was an Assistant Resident Representative and Program Manager. In this role, she managed many projects. She oversaw a budget of $600 million over five years. She also led a team of 25 professionals.
One of her key achievements at the UNDP was leading a team. They designed and built the "Panama 2000" Agreements. These agreements helped create the rules for the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). This was very important for the Panama Canal. It helped make sure the Canal would keep working well. This was especially important after the United States handed control back to Panama.
Entering Politics
Isabel Saint Malo was not a typical politician. She was an independent, meaning she didn't belong to a major political party. Juan Carlos Varela, who was running for president, asked her to be his vice president. She thought about it carefully. She decided to accept because she believed in fighting for what was right.
She was seen as a new and fair face in politics. Many voters were tired of traditional politicians. They saw her as an accomplished woman who had not been in government before. Varela and Saint Malo won the 2014 elections. They invited leaders from society and other independent people to join their government.
Vice President and Foreign Minister
After winning the election, Saint Malo became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She also led the Social Cabinet. This group included seven ministries. They worked on health, education, the environment, and jobs. Their main goal was to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She focused on policies to end poverty and inequality. She helped create the first National Poverty Multidimensional Index. This tool measures poverty in many ways, not just income. She also helped design a similar index for children. This work was done with Oxford University, the UNDP, and UNICEF.
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As Minister of Foreign Affairs, she improved Panama's diplomacy. She made the Ministry more professional. Saint Malo also led Panama's efforts in humanitarian aid. She helped open the first Humanitarian Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean. This was a partnership with the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
She also worked to fight corruption and promote transparency in Panama. She supported new laws and ethics training. Saint Malo also championed gender equality. She supported the Equal Pay Coalition. She also helped create the Gender Parity Initiative. She pushed for laws to ensure more women participate on company boards.
In June 2017, Ms. Saint Malo made a big diplomatic decision. She ended Panama's diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Instead, Panama established ties with the People's Republic of China. This was a step many in Panamanian diplomacy had expected. China plays a very important role in the global economy.
After Her Political Role
After her term as Vice President ended, Saint Malo was invited to Harvard University. She became a fellow at the Institute of Politics. This was part of the Kennedy School of Government. At Harvard, she led a study group on foreign affairs. She focused on global development issues. These included sustainable development goals, peace, and foreign policy in Latin America. She also mentored students and worked with professors.
Awards and Recognitions
Isabel Saint Malo has received many awards. These recognize her contributions to Panama and the world.
In 2012, she received the Woman of the Year award. This was given by the Panamanian Business Executives Association. She was honored for helping build national agreement for over two decades.
She was also the first Latin American to be honored by the Harry S. Truman Institute. This institute is part of the Hebrew University of Israel. She received this award for her role in a historic meeting. The meeting was between the presidents of Cuba and the United States. It happened during the VII Summit of the Americas in April 2015.
In 2018, the Council of the Americas honored her. She received the Bravo Award for Innovative Leader of the Year. Forbes Magazine also ranked her among Latin America's most powerful women.
Ms. Saint Malo has served on various boards. These include Banco BBVA and Fundación Democracia y Libertad. She helped start the Women Corporate Directors Association of Panama. She also helped create the Global Shapers hub in Panama City. This is an initiative by the World Economic Forum to help young leaders grow. In 2014, she was named an expert to the Global Agenda Council on Transparency.
She is also a fellow of the Central American Leadership Initiative (CALI) and the Aspen Institute. She is a member of Global Women Leader Voices for Change and Inclusion. She is also on the advisory board of Women Political Leaders. She is on the editorial board of Americas Quarterly.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel de Saint Malo para niños
- List of foreign ministers in 2017
- List of current foreign ministers
