Mercedes Peñas Domingo
| Mercedes Peñas Domingo | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First Lady of Costa Rica | |
|
Assumed office May 8, 2014 |
|
| President | Luis Guillermo Solís |
| Preceded by | José María Rico |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 18, 1968 Madrid, Spain |
| Domestic partner | Luis Guillermo Solís (2006–Present) |
| Profession | Political scientist |
María Mercedes Peñas Domingo (born November 18, 1968 Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish-born Costa Rican political scientist and specialist in international development in Latin America. Peñas, the longtime partner of Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís, has held the position of First Lady of Costa Rica since May 8, 2014. Peñas and Solis live under civil partnership.
Peñas was born in Madrid, Spain, on November 18, 1968. She first visited Costa Rica in August 1991 to attend the University for Peace (UPEACE), where she obtained a master's degree in International Relations, Peace, and Development Cooperation. She met Luis Guillermo Solís, her future partner who is ten years older than her, while studying for her master's at UPEACE. Solis was one of her professors.
Peñas spent two years studying at UPEACE in Costa Rica before returning to Spain after completing her master's degree. Two years later, she returned to Costa Rica to accept a job at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture's (IICA) Department of External Affairs. Additionally, she has worked as a consultant for the Rainforest Alliance, European Union and the United Nations.
Peñas has worked for DEMUCA, the financial branch of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), since 1997. She is now a naturalized citizen of Costa Rica.
...
Wikipedia