Full Name
Dr. Claudia Escobar Mejia
Job Title
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the Organization of American States
Speaker Bio
Dr. Claudia Escobar serves as Guatemala's Ambassador to the OAS and President of the Commission on Juridical and Political Affairs. A respected diplomat, legal scholar, and anti-corruption advocate, she represents Guatemala's interests within the Inter-American system while fostering multilateral cooperation on democracy, human rights, and regional development.
Her diplomatic journey follows a distinguished career in Guatemala's judiciary, where she served as a magistrate in the Court of Appeals before taking a principled stand against corruption by resigning from her position after denouncing political interference from government branches. This courageous action led to the conviction of a congressman for bribery and established her as a leading voice for judicial independence in the Americas.
Ambassador Escobar previously served as Executive Director of Be Just and as a Visiting Professor at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government. Her expertise has been recognized through fellowships at Georgetown University and Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute (as the first Central American recipient). She also served as Commissioner for the International Experts Commission against Corruption in Ecuador, appointed by the UNODC.
Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Pluralistic Law from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (Dissertation: "Ventajas competitivas de los estados pequeños centroamericanos en la integración global"), a law degree from Universidad Francisco Marroquín, and a Bachelor's in Political Science from Louisiana State University.
Ambassador Escobar's contributions have earned prestigious recognitions, including the Democracy Award (2017) and Harvard's "Women Inspiring Change" honor. As Guatemala's voice at the OAS, she leverages her unique perspective on confronting corruption to strengthen regional cooperation on transparency, accountability, and the rule of law throughout the Americas.
Through her diplomatic leadership, Ambassador Escobar continues her lifelong mission of strengthening democratic institutions and advancing justice on the international stage, working toward a more transparent and prosperous future for the peoples of the Americas.
Her diplomatic journey follows a distinguished career in Guatemala's judiciary, where she served as a magistrate in the Court of Appeals before taking a principled stand against corruption by resigning from her position after denouncing political interference from government branches. This courageous action led to the conviction of a congressman for bribery and established her as a leading voice for judicial independence in the Americas.
Ambassador Escobar previously served as Executive Director of Be Just and as a Visiting Professor at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government. Her expertise has been recognized through fellowships at Georgetown University and Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute (as the first Central American recipient). She also served as Commissioner for the International Experts Commission against Corruption in Ecuador, appointed by the UNODC.
Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Pluralistic Law from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (Dissertation: "Ventajas competitivas de los estados pequeños centroamericanos en la integración global"), a law degree from Universidad Francisco Marroquín, and a Bachelor's in Political Science from Louisiana State University.
Ambassador Escobar's contributions have earned prestigious recognitions, including the Democracy Award (2017) and Harvard's "Women Inspiring Change" honor. As Guatemala's voice at the OAS, she leverages her unique perspective on confronting corruption to strengthen regional cooperation on transparency, accountability, and the rule of law throughout the Americas.
Through her diplomatic leadership, Ambassador Escobar continues her lifelong mission of strengthening democratic institutions and advancing justice on the international stage, working toward a more transparent and prosperous future for the peoples of the Americas.
