Dharamshala, India — His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, wrote to Mrs Martinez on Monday (October 4) to express his condolences on the death of her husband, Dr Alfredo Martínez Moreno, the former delegation of El Salvador to the United Nations.
"I was very sorry to learn of the passing of my friend Dr Alfredo Moreno at the age of 98. I offer my condolences to you and to your family," His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote.
"As you know, your husband was a member of your nation's delegation to the United Nations in November 1950. It was El Salvador that first raised the issue of Tibet at the UN, for which we remain very grateful," he added.
"Over the years I met your husband on several occasions and was always deeply appreciative of his interest in and support for the freedom and dignity of the Tibetan people," the spirtual leader of Tibet said.
"Although he is no longer with us, we can take comfort in the fact that he lived a meaningful life of service to others," he concluded.
Dr Moreno, born on 1 September 1923, who became one of the most prominent lawyers in the history of El Salvador, died on the night of Saturday October 2, 2021 in San Salvador at the age of 98, as confirmed by relatives of the famous lawyer, diplomat and academic.
Dr Moreno's legacy is recognised in El Salvador through the exercise of different functions, including the presidency of the Academy of the Salvadoran Language for 37 years, before being relieved of his duties by Dr David Escobar Galindo in 2006.
He obtained his doctorate in jurisprudence and social sciences from the University of El Salvador. He was a Salvadoran diplomat and writer.
In the international arena, he is renowned for his advocacy work as a UN delegate for Tibetan self-determination against China's invasion of Tibet, and for chairing the Second Committee of the Seabed Conference which prepared the agenda for the Law of the Sea Conference.
Among the positions he held during his professional career are: Minister of Foreign Relations in 1967; President of the Supreme Court of Justice in 1968, he was also a professor of international law and in 1948 he was also Deputy Director of International Organisations. In Central America, he was involved in various efforts to promote regional integration.
The Centre for Legal Studies (CEJ) awarded him in 2019 the recognition as one of the most outstanding lawyers in the history of El Salvador. On that date, the president of the CEJ at the time, José Miguel Arévalo, expressed that among the contributions of Dr Moreno, his participation in international law during the Cold War stands out when he was qualified as " The hero of Geneva".
He recalled that at that time he acted as a mediator to avoid maritime confrontations between the Soviet Union and the United States, which earned him the applause of powers around the world.
