Since October 1st, 2017, H.E. Mr. Augustín Vásquez Gómez is the top representative of El Salvador in the Netherlands, covering a double role as Ambassador and as Permanent Representative to the international organizations in The Hague. A career diplomat with over 15 years of experience at the Salvadoran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vásquez Gómez also has experience with his country’s Navy.
Ambassador Vásquez Gómez holds an impressive, diverse academic background. He has studied Law extensively, both at the Universidad Centroamericana de El Salvador and at George Washington University. In addition, he has pursued studies in the military domain, attending the Military Academy Capitán General Gerardo Barrios in El Salvador, as well as other academies in Chile and the United States.
Mr. Vásquez Gómez’s career in the Salvadorean public sector started in 1995, when he joined El Salvador’s Navy, serving first as Ship Commander and then as Head of the Logistics Department of his country’s fleet. In 1999, he briefly joined the El Salvador’s Joint Chiefs of Staff as Head of Division for Territories and Borders, just before moving to the Salvadorean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001.
Initially, Mr. Vásquez Gómez’s work at the Foreign Ministry focused on El Salvador’s relations with its neighbors. This led him to work intensively on the Gulf of Fonseca, which El Salvador shares with Honduras and Nicaragua, and it also brought him to The Hague (2001-2003), where he represented his country vis-à-vis the International Court of Justice in a border spat between El Salvador and Honduras.
In June 2004, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was promoted to the role of Director General in charge of border issues at the Salvadorean Foreign Ministry, a post that he retained until 2007. During these three year, he continued his work on El Salvador’s border disputes with Honduras, as well as with Guatemala.
In April 2007, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was then asked to serve in the Salvadorean Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS), starting with the charge of Minister Counsellor. At the OAE, he presided several working groups on a range of different issues, from citizens’ security to development, also taking responsibility for the preparation of OAS’ ministerial meetings.
After seven years at the OAS, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was then transferred to the Netherlands – initially as Chargé d’Affaires (2014-2015), then as Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission (2015-2017), and eventually as Ambassador. As part of his work in The Hague, Ambassador Vásquez Gómez has been deeply involved in the activities of the international organizations headquartered in the city – and especially the International Criminal Court and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, where he has been regularly taking up roles of responsibility.
Ambassador Vásquez Gómez is married and has three children.
