Patricia Orantes
Patricia Orantes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Minister of Environment | |
| Assumed office 11 April 2024 | |
| President | Bernardo Arévalo |
| Preceded by | María José Iturbide |
| Member of the Congress of Guatemala | |
| In office 14 January 2024 – 11 April 2024 | |
| Succeeded by | Luis Enrique Ventura |
| Constituency | National List |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Political party | Semilla |
| Spouse | Andreas Lehnhoff Temme |
| Alma mater | Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala Heidelberg University |
Ana Patricia Orantes Thomas is a Guatemalan politician and biologist who serves as Minister of Environment of Guatemala since 2024. A founding member of Semilla party, she was member of the Congress for National List in 2024, having been elected in 2023 general election.[1]
Biography
Orantes was born in Guatemala City, daughter of Megan Thomas Sick, American anthropologist, and of José Alejandro Orantes Martínez, guatemalan trader. She is a biologist graduate of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, has a master's degree in Public Policy for Development by Duke University, and obtained postgraduate studies in public administration at the University of Potsdam, Germany. She was appointed head of the Planning and Programming Secretariat of the Presidency in 2006. During this period, she was awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the King Juan Carlos I of Spain.[2]
She worked as an advisor on environmental issues at several organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the United States Agency for International Development.[2]
Orantes is a cofounder of Movimiento Semilla political party and has held positions within its leadership. She was a member of the National Executive Committee, initially occupying the role of National Organization Secretary, and afterwards that of National Political Program Secretary. Afterward, she coordinated the Semilla party in the Central District (Guatemala City's municipality). She occupied second place on the list to the National List for 2023 legislative election, and she was elected.[2]
Personal life
Orantes is married to architect Andreas Lehnhoff Temme, who also served as Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources in Cabinet of Alejandro Maldonado, who served as president of Guatemala.[2]
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala presented a case of espionage and illegal wiretapping in 2019, allegedly requested by the then Minister of Economy, Acisclo Valladares Urruela, against members of the Semilla, including Samuel Pérez Álvarez, Lucrecia Hernández Mack and Ana Patricia Orantes Thomas.[3] The process was archived in 2023.[4]. The case was closed by the Attorney General's Office, at the time presided by the Attorney General María Consuelo Porras, in 2023[5].
References
- ^ Ocote, Redacción (30 June 2023). "LAS DIPUTADAS ELECTAS". Agencia Ocote (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d García, Jovanna (4 May 2023). "Bernardo Arévalo: el hijo que quiere recuperar la revolución que inició su padre". No Ficción (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Quino, Hedy (30 August 2019). "Semilla podría accionar por nuevo caso que involucra a Acisclo Valladares". La Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Sala cierra investigación por espionaje contra el exministro de Economía Acisclo Valladares Urruela". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 8 May 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ «Sala cierra investigación por espionaje contra el exministro de Economía Acisclo Valladares Urruela». Prensa Libre. May 8, 2023. Accessed September 13, 2023.
- Living people
- Guatemalan biologists
- Politicians from Guatemala City
- Guatemalan people of American descent
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala alumni
- Heidelberg University alumni
- Order of Civil Merit members
- 21st-century Guatemalan women politicians
- 21st-century Guatemalan politicians
- Movimiento Semilla politicians
- Guatemalan feminists