Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, will be among the five-member presidential delegation attending Tuesday’s inauguration of Santiago Peña as president of Paraguay.
Torres was selected by President Joe Biden for the delegation “in recognition of her work in the region,” her press secretary Justin Krakoff told City News Service.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is the leader of the delegation to the Paraguayan capital of Asunción, Biden announced Saturday.
The delegation also consists of Marc Ostfield, the U.S. ambassador to Paraguay; Francisco O. Mora, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States; and Todd D. Robinson, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The delegation left for Paraguay Monday and is scheduled to return to the United States Tuesday. It will also hold meetings while in Paraguay, Krakoff said.
Peña was elected April 30 to succeed Mario Abdo BenÃtez, a fellow member of the National Republican Association-Colorado Party, which has held the presidency for all but five years since 1948 and was the sole legal party from 1947-62.
Paraguay’s constitution limits its president to one five-year term.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement May 1 saying, “We look forward to working with President-elect Peña and his government to advance common interests like fighting corruption and impunity and advancing security and economic growth for the benefit of both our countries.
“Our common interests and shared democratic values will continue to underpin the historic partnership between the people of Paraguay and the United States.”
The 44-year-old Peña was the nation’s finance minister from 2015-17, has taught economics at the Catholic University of Asunción and served on leadership boards for the Central Bank of Paraguay and Banco Amambay. He has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.