Pilar Fuertes Ferragut (19 July 1962 – 2 April 2012) was a Spanish diplomat who served as the Spanish ambassador to Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe from September 2008 to her death in April 2012. She began her career as the director of programmes in the Subdirectorate General for Emigration in the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

in 1992 before going on to work at the from 1994 to 1996. Fuertes Ferragut went on to serve as the Second Head of the Spanish Embassies in Beirut (Lebanon), Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand) and Guatemala between 1996 and 2003 and then the deputy director for the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Philippines in 2004 and the deputy director general for International Relations, Immigration and Aliens at the

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

in April 2006. She was decorated with the Lady's Ribbon of the Order of Isabella the Catholic in 1998 and the Cross of the Order of Civil Merit in 2004.

Biography

On 19 July 1962, Fuertes Ferragut was born in Valencia, Spain and obtained a law degree before entering the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1992. She was the sister of the wife of the politician

Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (born 20 May 1945 in Barcelona) is a Spanish politician and radiation physicist who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and served as First Vice President of the European Parliament from 200 ...

. That same year, Fuertes Ferragut was appointed to serve as the director of programmes in the Subdirectorate General for Emigration in the

. She held a variety of different positions in the from 1994 to 1996 and then served as the Second Head of the Spanish Embassies in Beirut (Lebanon), Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand) and Guatemala between 1996 and 2003. Fuertes Ferragut later returned to Madrid and became the deputy director for the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Philippines in 2004, and on 30 April 2007, was appointed deputy director general for International Relations, Immigration and Aliens at the

Antonio Camacho Vizcaíno Antonio Camacho Vizcaíno (born 11 February 1964 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish politician and former Minister of the Interior. He was the Spanish's Secretary of State of Security between 2004 and 2011. Since 2011 to 2014, he has represented Z ...

, the Secretary of State for Security. She was appointed the second head of the Spanish Embassy in Cairo, Egypt in April 2008, and was made the on 8 November 2008. On 26 September 2009, Fuertes Ferragut was appointed the Spanish ambassador to Malawi by the Government of Spain through a Royal Decree. She worked to construct working relations in the area of arts and culture between Spain and Zimbabwe and hosted multiple functions for local journalists, informing them of problems in Spain. Fuertes Ferragut arranged cultural events such as at the

Harare International Festival of the Arts The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) is one of Africa's largest international arts festivals. Established in 1999 by Manuel Bagorro the festival takes place each year in late April or early May in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. ...

and the Harare Agricultural Show. She was appointed by Royal Decree as the Spanish ambassador to Zambia by

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

on 12 June 2010 following a proposal being made by

Miguel Ángel Moratinos Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé (born 8 June 1951) is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and was a member of Congress from 2004 to 2011, where he represented Córdoba. Since 7 January 2019 he is the UN ...

, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and discussions with the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

. In 1998, Fuertes Ferragut was decorated with the Lady's Ribbon of the Order of Isabella the Catholic and received the Cross of the Order of Civil Merit six years later.

Death

On the afternoon of 2 April 2012, she was spending a short holiday in Namibia when she was killed in a traffic accident in which her car overturned and rolled multiple times close to the coastal town of

Walvis Bay Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The c ...

. As a result, the Spanish Embassy in Zimbabwe was closed and cultural events cancelled before a book of condolence was opened from 6 to 10 April. Fuertes Ferragut's body would be repatriated to Spain, and her funeral took place at the parish church of the Carmelites in Madrid on 12 April 2012.

Legacy

In April 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the exhibition Spirit of Friendship. Between Two Waters that featured works by artists from Zimbabwe in tribute to Fuertes Ferragut.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuertes Ferragut, Pilar 1962 births 2012 deaths People from Valencia 20th-century Spanish women 21st-century Spanish women politicians Spanish women diplomats Road incident deaths in Namibia Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Order of Civil Merit members