Carolyn Rodrigues

Rodrigues, an Amerindian,^[3] was born in Moruca, Santa Rosa, Barima-Waini Region. After attending a private school in Georgetown,^[1] she received a scholarship for Amerindians^[3] and went to study business administration at the University of Regina in Canada and returned to Guyana in 1993.^[1] She was required by her scholarship to work for Amerindian communities, and as a result she left the lumber company where she worked and instead went to work for the Inter-American Development Bank's Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) in Guyana, although this meant 65% less pay.^[3] She became Coordinator of SIMAP's Amerindian Projects Programme, holding that post until 2001, when she went to study in social work at the University of Guyana.^[1]

Rodrigues was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Amerindian Affairs in April 2001. Following the 2006 general election, she was reappointed Minister of Amerindian Affairs and sworn in on 4 September 2006.^[4] After nearly seven years as Minister of Amerindian Affairs, she was succeeded by Pauline Campbell-Sukhai on 4 January 2008.^[5] She was then appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on 9 April 2008, replacing Rudy Insanally.^[6] She was sworn in on April 10.^[7]

Rodrigues continued to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs until the People's Progressive Party (PPP) lost the May 2015 general election. She was subsequently offered a spot on the PPP's list of MPs, but she chose not to take a seat in the National Assembly, preferring to work abroad.^[8] She was appointed Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva in August 2017,^[9] and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in 2020.^[2]