Ecuador’s first lady leads social projects in Latin America
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Lavinia Valbonesi of Ecuador became the pro tempore president of ALMA, an alliance of spouses of Latin American heads of state, on September 23, 2026, during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States.
Valbonesi received the leadership role from Lucrecia Peinado of Guatemala, who had held the position since September 2025.
ALMA functions as a non-governmental platform for the spouses and representatives of Latin American leaders to coordinate responses to citizen needs and share best practices. Valbonesi and the Ecuadorian delegation plan to focus on delivering humanitarian aid, building international partnerships, and creating coordinated welfare programs for families across Latin America.
Before the formal handover, Valbonesi met with other first ladies from the region to discuss shared social issues and emphasized a commitment to collaborative work with the slogan “A donde sea que vamos: hacemos que las cosas pasen” (“Wherever we go, we make things happen”). The organization previously, under Peinado’s leadership, discussed topics such as female leadership, projects with local impact, and community methods. Ecuador intends to continue these initiatives.
Valbonesi also visited the White House in March 2026, where she joined delegates from several countries to discuss educational innovation, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence.
