Ana Cecilia Gervasi Diaz (1 December 1966 – ) was a Peruvian diplomat who was the country's

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

between 10 December 2022 and 6 November 2023. Prior to this post, Gervasi served in diplomatic posts in Canada and the United States and at the United Nations at Geneva and the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

Education

Gervasi held a law degree from the

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (, PUCP) is a private university in Lima, Peru. It was founded in 1917 with the support and approval of the Catholic church, being the oldest private institution of higher learning in the country. The Peru ...

and postgraduate degrees in international relations and diplomacy from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru. She held a master's degree in international relations from the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

, specialized in multilateral diplomacy at the

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (, abbreviated IHEID), commonly referred to as Geneva Graduate Institute, is a graduate-level research university in Geneva, Switzerland dedicated to international relations, dev ...

in Geneva, and completed doctoral studies at the

University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires (, UBA) is a public university, public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the second-oldest university in the country, and the largest university of the country by enrollment. Established in 1821 ...

Diplomatic career

A career diplomat, Gervasi worked as General Director of Economic Affairs, Economic Promotion and Investment Promotion at Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was also at different junctures Peru's Consul General in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and Washington DC, and a counsellor and delegate of Peru to the United Nations in New York City and

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, and to the

. Gervasi was Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and was then appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 2022, the first woman to hold the post.

Foreign Affairs Minister

Gervasi was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs as part of President

Dina Boluarte Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra (; born 31 May 1962) is a Peruvian politician, civil servant, and lawyer who has been serving as the 64th president of Peru since 2022. She had served as the Vice President of Peru, first vice president and minister ...

's new cabinet on 10 December 2022, following the arrest and impeachment of

Pedro Castillo José Pedro Castillo Terrones (; born 19 October 1969) is a Peruvian politician, former elementary school teacher, and union leader who served as the President of Peru from 28 July 2021 until Third impeachment and removal of Pedro Castillo, he ...

. None of the 17 ministers appointed were members of a political party with any seats in

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. On 13 December, Gervasi summoned the ambassadors of Mexico,

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, and

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

after their governments had signed a joint communique expressing concerns over Castillo's dismissal and arrest. Gervasi said on Twitter she "reiterated to them that the presidential succession is constitutional and that the decisions of former president Castillo on December 7 materialized a coup d'état". Gervasi resigned as minister on 6 November 2023 after she failed to secure a bilateral meeting between Boluarte and U.S. President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

at a summit in Washington. A formal meeting with Biden at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

was considered an important step in gaining international legitimacy for the Boluarte administration following Castillo's arrest.

Death

On 4 September 2024, Gervasi returned from Switzerland where she was working as a diplomat. That same day, she suffered a fall and injured her leg but refused to receive medical help. That was the last day she was seen alive. Gervasi was found dead at her apartment in Miraflores, Lima, on 8 September 2024. She was 57. Police were called to her home after she had not been heard from for several days preceding her death.

References

External links

Government website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gervasi, Ana 1966 births Year of birth uncertain 2024 deaths Pontifical Catholic University of Peru alumni Alumni of the London School of Economics Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies alumni University of Buenos Aires alumni Female foreign ministers Foreign ministers of Peru Independent politicians in Peru Peruvian lawyers Peruvian women lawyers Peruvian women ambassadors Permanent representatives of Peru to the United Nations 21st-century Peruvian politicians 21st-century Peruvian women politicians Ambassadors of Peru to Canada