Raúl Alberto Quijano

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Raúl Alberto Quijano (13 December 1923 – 14 April 2006) was an Argentine lawyer and diplomat who briefly served as foreign minister under President Isabel Perón. He was born in Buenos Aires and earned his law degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 1946, with postgraduate study at Columbia University. He joined Argentina’s Foreign Service in 1947, rising to ambassador in 1967, and worked at the United Nations mission, the Argentine embassy in India, the consulate in Pakistan, and the legation in South Africa.

Quijano was foreign minister from 19 January to 24 March 1976. He aimed to win goodwill from the United States and met with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who spoke of good intentions but offered no commitments. Tensions over the Falkland Islands strained relations with Britain; on 17 January 1976 the British ambassador delivered a note from James Callaghan, which Quijano treated as unproductive. In response, he recalled Argentina’s ambassador to Britain and demanded the withdrawal of the British envoy.

He also signed agreements with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia, while relations with Brazil remained tense due to border smuggling. His term ended with the military coup on 24 March 1976. After leaving the ministry, Quijano remained active in international affairs, including roles with United Nations bodies and later serving as Argentina’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. He died in Buenos Aires on 14 April 2006, survived by his wife, Elia Guerra de Quijano.