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 27 June 1968) is a well-known politician and diplomat from Panama. She served as the Vice President of Panama and also as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She held these important roles from 1 July 2014, to 30 June 2019.
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 become the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the country. She ran for office alongside President Juan Carlos Varela. They were part of a team that included the Panameñista Party and the People's Party.
Isabel de Saint Malo has a lot of experience in global issues. She works to improve human development and promote gender equality. She also focuses on ending poverty and reducing social inequality. She is known for being a good negotiator and for helping groups reach agreements. She has worked for over 30 years in public policy in Latin America.
Contents
About Isabel de Saint Malo
Early Life and Education
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.
She then attended Saint Joseph's University. In 1989, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. She continued her studies and received a Master in Business Administration in 1995. This degree was 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.
Working for the United Nations
Before her political career, 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.
One of her most important projects at UNDP was "Panama 2000." She led the team that created this plan. It helped set up 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 happened after the United States handed control back to Panama.
Starting in Politics
Isabel Saint Malo was not a typical politician. She was an independent, meaning she didn't belong to a specific political party. Juan Carlos Varela, who was running for president, asked her to be his vice president. She thought about it carefully before accepting. She believed it was important to fight for what she believed in.
She was seen as a new and fresh face in politics. Many voters liked her because she was accomplished. She had never been in government before. Varela and Saint Malo won the 2014 elections. They invited other leaders and independent people to join their government.
Key Roles in Government
Vice President and Foreign Minister
After winning the election, Isabel Saint Malo became the Vice President. She was also named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She led the Social Cabinet, which included seven ministries. These ministries worked on health, education, the environment, and jobs. Their main goal was to help Panama achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She worked hard to reduce poverty and inequality. She helped create the first National Poverty Multidimensional Index for Panama. This index measures poverty in many ways, not just income. She also helped design a similar index for children. She worked with Oxford University, UNDP, and UNICEF on these projects.
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As Minister of Foreign Affairs, she improved Panama's diplomacy. She made the Ministry more professional. She 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).
Saint Malo also worked to fight corruption and promote transparency. She supported new laws and ethics training. She championed several initiatives for gender equality. These included the Equal Pay Coalition and the Gender Parity Initiative. She also supported laws to ensure more women were on company boards.
In June 2017, she was part of a big change in Panama's foreign policy. Panama ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Instead, it established ties with the People's Republic of China. This was an important step for Panama due to China's global economic role.
After Her Time in Politics
After her term as Vice President ended, Isabel Saint Malo was invited to Harvard University. She became a fellow at the Institute of Politics. This was at the Kennedy School of Government in the fall of 2019.
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 Achievements
Isabel Saint Malo has received many awards for her work. In 2012, she was named Woman of the Year. This award was given by the Panamanian Business Executives Association.
She was also the first Latin American to be honored by the Harry S. Truman Institute. This was for her role in helping to arrange a historic meeting. This 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, she received the Bravo Award for Innovative Leader of the Year. This award came from the Council of the Americas. Forbes Magazine also named her one of Latin America's most powerful women.
She has been a member of several important boards. These include Banco BBVA. She also helped start the Women Corporate Directors Association of Panama. She was a founding member of the Global Shapers hub in Panama City. This group helps young leaders grow their potential.
Ms. Saint Malo is also a fellow of the Central American Leadership Initiative. She is a member of Global Women Leader Voices for Change and Inclusion. She is also on the advisory board of Women Political Leaders.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel de Saint Malo para niños
- List of foreign ministers in 2017
- List of current foreign ministers
