Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena (born 9 March 1965) is a Mexican ecologist, politician and diplomat from the

National Regeneration Movement MORENA () is a major Mexican left-wing political party. It is described as an anti-neoliberal and populist party. It is the ruling party of Mexico since 2018. The name is an acronym for the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (National Regener ...

who was the Secretary of Environment from 2018 to 2019. She currently serves as the Mexican ambassador to the United Kingdom since 23 April 2021. On 9 June 2021, she presented her credentials to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

accrediting her as Mexico's representative to the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

She was born in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. She attended Anáhuac University where she studied Law and graduated with a degree in Law in 1989. In 2014, she graduated from the John F. Kennedy University with a Master's in Transformative Art.

Career

She was Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of the

Government of Mexico The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...

between 2018 to 2019, leading the national policy on natural resources and environmental regulation. She was Administrative Secretary of the Postgraduate Program of the Faculty of Law of the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

and promoter of various social, cultural and environmental programs and projects.

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources

From 2017 to 2018, she was coordinator of the strategic agenda of

Morena Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. G ...

. In 2018, she assumed the title of the Secretariat as the first Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources of the current administration, becoming the second woman to hold the position in the history of the federal agency. On May 25, 2019 she resigned from her office as Minister of Environment after causing delay to a commercial flight she was meant to board.

Ambassador to United Kingdom

In March 2021, she was appointed Ambassador to United Kingdom by the

Senate of the Republic (Mexico) The Senate of the Republic, ( es, Senado de la República) constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union ( es, Cámara de Senadores del H. Congreso de la Unión), is the upper house of Mexico's bicameral Congres ...

. On April 23, 2021, she officially assumed her duties as representative of Mexico in London, after presenting a copy of her Credentials that accredit her as Ambassador of Mexico to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commonwealth and Development International.

References

Living people 1965 births Cabinet of Andrés Manuel López Obrador Women Secretaries of State of Mexico 21st-century Mexican politicians 21st-century Mexican women politicians Mexican ecologists Politicians from Mexico City Morena (political party) politicians Mexican Secretaries of the Environment Ambassadors of Mexico to the United Kingdom {{Mexico-politician-NationalRegeneration-stub