Embassy News
Ambassador
Liliana Ayalde
Term of Appointment: August 5, 2008 to present.
The U.S. Senate confirmed in June 2008 Liliana Ayalde’s nomination to be the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay. Most recently, she served as Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Colombia since 2005, where she oversaw a development assistance portfolio of over $200 million.
With more than 26 years of experience in international development, Ayalde joined USAID in 1982 under the International Development Intern program in USAID/Dhaka. In 1985, Ayalde was posted at USAID/Guatemala during a period of transition to a democratic government, overseeing a variety of social development programs. She was then posted to Nicaragua where she managed growing assistance programs during the early 1990s. In 1993, Ayalde was the Deputy Director for the Office of Central American Affairs in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and became Director in 1995 during the peace process in the region, returning as Deputy Mission Director for USAID/Nicaragua in 1997. She was assigned as Mission Director for USAID/Bolivia in 1999.
Ayalde holds a bachelor's degree from American University, and master's degree in International Public Health from Tulane University. She is married and has two daughters. Ayalde is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and has working knowledge of French.