Alfredo Toro Hardy, PhD, is a retired Venezuelan career diplomat, scholar and author. He is a former Ambassador to the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Ireland, Chile and Singapore. He has directed the Diplomatic Academy of the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other academic institutions. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor at Princeton and Brasília Universities. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, a member of the Academic Advisory Committee of Westminster University and two-time Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Scholar. He is also a member of the Review Panel of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center. He has authored or co-authored 36 books on international affairs.