The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday commemorated the third anniversary of the death of Peruvian diplomat and ambassador Javier Perez de Cuellar, who also held the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
"Today marks the third anniversary of the death of Ambassador Javier Perez de Cuellar, an illustrious and universal Peruvian citizen, who is a symbol of the fight for justice and world peace and constant inspiration for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Peruvians for his service and love to the country," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Twitter.
The prominent Peruvian diplomat died at the age of 100 on March 4, 2020. He was given the honors of Head of State during his funeral.
Javier Perez de Cuellar was born on January 19, 1920 and represented Peru as Ambassador to Switzerland, Poland, Venezuela, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
In 1981, upon his return to Peru, after serving as United Nations Under-Secretary-General, President Fernando Belaunde Terry proposed that he become Peruvian Ambassador to Brazil. However, he did not hold that position because the Senate rejected his appointment.
Nevertheless, he was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations two months after the Legislative Branch rejected his appointment, thus becoming the first and only Latin American to have held such an important position to date.
Perez de Cuellar assumed the position on January 1, 1982, taking his experience and the name of Peru to the most inhospitable places around the world.
The Peruvian diplomat did such an excellent work that he was re-elected for a second term, which ended on January 1, 1992.
For all these reasons, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 1985 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
(END) JCC/RMB
Published: 3/4/2023