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María Fernanda Espinosa Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthSeptember 7, 1964

BirthplaceSalamanca, Spain

ProfessionPolitician, Diplomat

NationalityEcuadorian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseFranco Sergio Botta

FamilyChildren: Sergio Botta, Alfredo Botta, Mónica Botta, Carla Botta; Parents: Honorato Espinosa and Elena Morales; Siblings: Armando Espinosa, Honorato Espinosa, Maria Paulina Espinosa

María Fernanda Espinosa Biography

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés is an Ecuadorian politician, diplomat, poet and academic who served as President of the United Nations General Assembly for

Early life and background

María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés was born on September 7, 1964, in Salamanca, Spain, and holds Ecuadorian nationality. She pursued advanced study in the social sciences and environmental geography, earning a licentiate in Applied Linguistics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, a postgraduate degree in Anthropology and Political Science from the Facultad Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales in Quito, a master’s degree in Social Science with Amazonic studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy in environmental geography from Rutgers University in the United States.

Career

Espinosa’s professional life spans diplomacy, politics and scholarship. She has more than two decades of international experience working on multilateral issues that include security, regional integration, cultural heritage, and human rights. Her governmental roles in Ecuador have included service as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Coordinating Minister of Heritage, and Minister of National Defense.

Her early national-level appointments began in 2007 when she served as Ecuador’s Minister for Foreign Affairs under President Rafael Correa. In 2008 she was appointed Ecuador’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Between 2009 and 2012 she served as Coordinating Minister of Heritage, and in 2012 she was named Minister of National Defense. In 2014 she returned to multilateral diplomacy when she was named Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in Geneva. In 2017 she again took the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of President Lenín Moreno.

In June 2018 Espinosa was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly for its 73rd session. Her election marked the fourth time a woman had held the Assembly’s presidency and made her the first Latin American woman to occupy that role. She won the secret-ballot vote by 128 to 62, with two abstentions.

Aside from her formal political and diplomatic positions, Espinosa has been active on international issues as a representative of Ecuador. While serving as Permanent Representative in Geneva, she participated in debates concerning cases brought before U.N. human rights mechanisms, including defending Ecuador’s position in discussions on arbitrary detention in 2016.

Public profile

Espinosa is known publicly both as a diplomat and as a writer. She has published poetry and essays and maintains a longstanding personal interest in ecology and environmental matters. Her creative work was recognized early in her career when she won Ecuador’s First National Poetry Prize in 1990. She is also a member of the World Future Council and is identified with animal activism.

Espinosa’s political affiliation is with the PAIS Alliance. Physically, she is reported to be approximately 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) tall and to have light brown eyes and copper golden brown hair. Personal details recorded in public sources list her as married to Franco Sergio Botta and as a parent to four children: sons Sergio Botta and Alfredo Botta and daughters Mónica Botta and Carla Botta. Her parents are recorded as Honorato Espinosa and Elena Morales, and she has siblings named Armando Espinosa, Honorato Espinosa, and Maria Paulina Espinosa.

Latest updates

By 2018 Espinosa had been elected to preside over the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, succeeding Miroslav Lajcak of Slovakia. That milestone was highlighted as notable in the history of the Assembly, which has had only a small number of women presidents since its founding. Her work continues to reflect a combination of diplomacy, environmental concern and cultural engagement.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about María Fernanda Espinosa, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

President of the United Nations General Assembly (73rd Session)

Elected President of the UN General Assembly for its 73rd session in June 2018; first Latin American woman to hold the post and the fourth woman overall.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ecuador (2007; 2017)
  2. Ecuador's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2008; 2014 in Geneva)
  3. Coordinating Minister of Heritage (2009–2012)
  4. Minister of National Defense (2012)
  5. President of the United Nations General Assembly (73rd Session, 2018)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was María Fernanda Espinosa born?

María Fernanda Espinosa was born on September 7, 1964.

What is María Fernanda Espinosa known for?

María Fernanda Espinosa is known for politician, Diplomat.

What is María Fernanda Espinosa’s marital status?

María Fernanda Espinosa's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is María Fernanda Espinosa married to?

María Fernanda Espinosa is publicly listed as married to Franco Sergio Botta.