Interregional Meeting of First Ladies and First Gentlemen held in Guatemala

On 26–27 September, Guatemala hosted the Interregional Meeting of First Ladies and First Gentlemen (Encuentro Interregional de Primeras Damas y Primeros Caballeros), held under the theme “Soft Power, Social Leadership and Democracy”.

The meeting provided an opportunity for participants from different countries and regions to exchange experiences. Discussions focused on the role of social leadership and soft power in strengthening trust, social cohesion and democratic values, as well as on opportunities for international cooperation.

The meeting brought together First Ladies Dr Lucrecia Peinado of Guatemala, Rossana Briceño of Belize, Lissette del Cid de Asfura of Honduras, Auxillia Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and Maricel de Mulino of Panama. Ana Fagianni de Maldonado, First Lady of Guatemala in 2015–2016, and Kora Newman, Chair of the Global Alliance of First Ladies (GFLA), also took part.

The programme included an academic session and an exchange of experiences on social leadership, democratic values and building trust. Participants also explored Guatemala’s cultural heritage and learned about the work of women entrepreneurs who are building businesses rooted in the knowledge, talents and traditions of their communities.

The event was organised by Alianza ALMA — the Alliance of Spouses of Heads of State and Representatives of Latin America — with the support of the Global Alliance of First Ladies and Universidad Rafael Landívar. In 2025–2026, Guatemala’s First Lady Lucrecia Peinado served as Chair of ALMA.

The preparation of the meeting was part of the work initiated during Lucrecia Peinado’s chairmanship. On 23 September in New York, during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, she handed over the pro tempore presidency of ALMA to Ecuador’s First Lady Lavinia Valbonesi. The meeting in Guatemala took place after the handover and continued the work initiated during the previous term.

Lavinia Valbonesi proposed making women’s economic autonomy a cross-cutting priority for ALMA, with a focus on education, employment, entrepreneurship, leadership and women’s access to opportunities.