A former president of the General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, has been nominated by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to run for the position of the next UN Secretary-General. Espinosa, from Ecuador, is the fifth candidate vying to succeed Antonio Guterres, with two other female candidates from Latin America also in the race. She previously served as the Assembly president from 2018 to 2019.
Espinosa, who held various cabinet roles in Ecuador, including defense and foreign minister, has not received the endorsement of her home country for her candidacy. Despite being nominated by Antigua and Barbuda, she previously lost the election for the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States in 2020. The current Secretary-General, Guterres, will complete his second term at the end of this year.
The other candidates for the position include Michelle Bachelet Jeria from Chile, Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis from Costa Rica, Rafael Mariano Grossi from Argentina, and Macky Sall from Senegal. The election process involves a three-hour interview with diplomats and civil society representatives for each candidate. A simple majority in the Assembly is required for election, but the final decision lies with the Security Council due to its veto powers.
