THE HONORARY CONSUL OF COLOMBIA IN LIBERIA
Mr. Houssein Cheaitou
The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara, has presented an exequatur to Mr. Houssein Cheaitou to serve as Honorary Consul General to the Consulate of Colombia in Liberia on June 16, 2017.
Exequatur is an official recognition by a government of a consul, agent, or other representative of a foreign state, authorizing them to exercise the duties of office. This is the first of its kind for the Republic of Colombia to have a direct representative in Liberia.
Mr. Cheaitou is also the general manager of the Cheaitou Brothers Inc., a local wholesale and retail dealer in frozen meat and fish on the Liberian market for many years.
As the result of the Mr. Cheaitou visit to Colombia in May of 2018 for the ProColombia trade fair and visit to the Colombian Chamber of Commerce with an objective to promote trade and export from Colombian producers to Liberian market, Beef Mask (a frozen product) is now exported from Colombia by Minerva Company to Liberia through Cheaitou Brothers Inc, Frozen Food and other importers.
THE AMBASSADOR OF COLOMBIA TO LIBERIA
Ms. Claudia Turbay Quintero
The first Ambassador of Colombia to Liberia, H.E. Claudia Turbay Quintero, said it is an honor that together that both countries will develop this relationship.
She expressed her personal admiration for the Liberian leader as Africa’s first female President and stressed that it is an historical moment for Colombia and for her in particular.
She expressed the efforts to instantly begin work with authorities at the Foreign Ministry in order to establish strong relations between both countries and begin cooperation talks in all areas, health agriculture, and education, among others.
President Sirleaf welcomed Ambassador Quintero to Liberia and noted that the diplomatic relations between Liberia and Colombia are relatively new, only beginning in 1989. She was also happy that Colombia has now assigned an Ambassador to Liberia and she happens to be a woman.
Ms. Valarie Sandra Johnson
Special Assistant to The Honorary Consul of Colombia in Liberia
Ms. Valarie Sandra Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with emphasis in Public Administration from the University of Liberia and a certificate in Microsoft, earned at the Horizon computer Institute.
Ms. Johnson is currently the Special Assistant to the Honorary Consul General of Colombia and Finance Manager for Youth for Change Incorporated. She holds other responsibilities as, Financial Secretary at the National Youth Ministry, Church of Pentecost (COP) Liberia, National Executive member of the Pentecost Students & Association (PENSA) and Youth Leader of Alpha Assembly (The Church of Pentecost- Liberia).
Other capacities she have served are; 1st female President of the Sociology and Anthropology Students Association (SASA) at the University of Liberia in 2018/2019 academic year, President of Adolescent Girls Advisory Panel at Liberia’s Ministry Of Gender, Children And Social Protection, founding member of Youth Coalition for Education in Liberia (YOCEL) and served as Deputy Director of YOCEL from 2013-2015, Mobile outreach Office at the International medical corps (IMC) in Kakata, Margibi County 2015.
Her favorite quote “Once you are determine, no matter what happens you can make it.”