Growing up in Veracruz, Mexico, Major General Ramón Guardado Sánchez never imagined that one day he would be selected to command a UN peacekeeping operation in the shadow of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains half a world away.
Major General Guardado said he is prepared for the tasks that await him as he deploys with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
“It is an honor to take on this role and to contribute to one of the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions,” said Major General Guardado.
On 23 December, Major General Guardado will deploy as the Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer of UNMOGIP. Established in 1948, UNMOGIP is one of the UN’s longest-standing peace operations, with a mandate to monitor the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
Major General Sánchez is well aware of the mission’s complexity and history, but he is “ready to take on the challenge,” following in the footsteps of other Mexican officers who have served under the UN flag.
“This position isn’t just a personal achievement- it’s also a reflection of my country’s dedication to peacekeeping. I’m proud to represent both Mexico and the UN at this critical time for UN Peacekeeping.”
Major General Guardado will make history as the UN’s first ever Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer from Mexico, whose contributions to peacekeeping began in 1992 with the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL). Today, 20 uniformed personnel (including nine women) are deployed in UN peace operations, serving with MINURSO (Western Sahara), MINUSCA (Central African Republic), UNMOGIP (India/Pakistan), and the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.
Major General Ramón Guardado Sánchez has had a long and distinguished career in the Mexican Army, most recently serving as Commissioner of the National Guard in Yucatán. Prior to this, he served as Liaison to Congress for the National Defence Joint Staff (2022-2023), Chief of the Regional Training Centre (2021-2022) and as Chief of the G-7 Section (Counter-narcotics Operations) of the National Defence Joint Staff (2018-2019).
He was also the Commanding Officer of the Mexican Peace Operations Joint Training Centre (2017-2018) and served in the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (2016-2017) as Regional Chief Observer.
“I believe in the power of peacekeeping to make a difference. My experiences will guide my efforts to support durable peace in this region.”
In Mexico, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Military Administration from the Superior War School and a Master’s Degree in National Security from the Naval Centre for Superior Studies. He also graduated from the Armor Officer Advanced Course at the U.S. Army Armor Centre and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School at the Joint Forces Staff College in the United States, and trained at the Argentine Joint Training Centre for Peace Operations (CAECOPAZ).
Major General Guardado will be replacing Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos of Argentina, to whom the Secretary-General has expressed gratitude for his dedicated contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts.