On Thursday, January 15, 2015, Ambassador Leslie A. Bassett presented her credentials to President Horacio Cartes during a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Asunción. She then proceeded to the Pantheon of Heroes for the traditional laying of a wreath.
Ms. Bassett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new Ambassador to Paraguay on November 18, 2014 and sworn in on January 2, 2015.
Ms. Bassett is a career member of the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service. Before arriving in Paraguay, she served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
Ms. Bassett served previously as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassies in Manila, Philippines; in Mexico City, Mexico; and in Gaborone, Botswana. Ms. Bassett’s career also includes service in Colombia, Israel, South Africa, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Ms. Bassett is a distinguished graduate of the National War College, holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and received her undergraduate degree in international relations from the University of California at Davis.
Ms. Bassett has one daughter.
