Jeremy Hobbs British Ambassador to Paraguay

Jeremy Hobbs

Former British Ambassador to Paraguay

Part of UK in Paraguay

10th March 2015 Asuncion, Paraguay

How I became Ambassador to Paraguay

Over the next weeks/months I will blog about the work the Embassy does to promote trade and investment, defence and security, and education links between the UK and Paraguay.

But first a little background on me. I’ve spent well over half my life -32 years – studying and working on Latin America. I first visited the region in 1982, spending a year in Mexico on a student exchange. That experience fired my passion for the region’s politics, economics, and culture. A fascination that remains to this day.

Visit to Luz Bella
Visit to the Community of Luz Bella in the Department of San Pedro

I never imagined joining the Diplomatic Service. My plan, upon completing my PhD, was to apply for a teaching post at University. However, all that changed when I saw a job offer for an analyst in the Americas Section of the FCO Research Department. I applied, was short listed for interview, and, to my great surprise, got the job. Apparently my knowledge of the Andean Pact, forerunner of the Andean Community, was what tipped if for me at interview!

Since joining the FCO I have visited 19 of the 20 Latin American Republics and had diplomatic postings to Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and now Paraguay.

In Research one of my less rewarding jobs was to document the decline in the UK’s presence in Latin America after the end of World War Two. Fortunately, Foreign Secretary William Hague reversed this trend, announcing an end to our ‘diplomatic retreat’ in a memorable 2010 Canning Lecture.

Canning Agenda
The Canning Agenda

As a result we have significantly strengthened our engagement with the region, most visibly by re-opening Embassies in Asuncion, Port-au-Prince and San Salvador.

That’s how I ended up as Ambassador to Paraguay. More on what the Embassy has been doing since re-opening in October 2013 in my next blog…

3 comments on “How I became Ambassador to Paraguay

  1. Dear Mr. Hobbs,

    I am a former Chevening Scholar and alumni of Saint Andrews College here in Asuncion. Congratulations for your wonderful initiative of blogging about the work of the Embassy to promote trade and investment, defence, security and education links between the UK and Paraguay. As a corporate lawyer I look forward to read about the works related to trade and investment.

    Kind regards,

    Federico

    1. Pleased to hear you enjoyed the blog Federico. You can also follow me on twitter at @jeremyahobbs
      Tomorrow I will be participating to a Magna Carta round table in the Anglo at 7pm. It will be great to meet you there. Regards

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