Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the first woman to hold that position in the government in United Statesdied this Wednesday at the age of 84, his family announced in a statement.

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Head of diplomacy between 1997 and 2001, during the term of Democratic President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, “tireless defender of democracy and human rights,” died of cancer “surrounded by family and friends,” says the note.

Albright’s worldwide influence became so great that it has been compared to that of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

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Madeleine Albright was born on May 15, 1937 in Prague into a Jewish family. When she was 11 years old, her family emigrated to the United States where her brilliant studies allowed her to access the highest rungs of power.

Former US President Bill Clinton accompanied by his wife, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright (right) during the state funeral of former Czech President Vaclav Havel in Prague, Czech Republic, December 23, 2011. (EFE/EPA/ PETR DAVID JOSEK) (PETR DAVID JOSEK / POOL/)

Just before taking the helm of US diplomacy, she served as US Ambassador to the UN (1993-1997), where she made her mark, particularly during the US offensive in Kosovo.

State Department spokesman Ned Price called her death “devastating.” “She was a pioneer,” he said. “As the first female secretary of state, she literally opened the doors for so much of our profession.”

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Source: Elcomercio