He served in Washington on a previous occasion as counselor in the Ecuadorian Embassy from 1979 to 1980. Most recently, Ambassador Gallegos, who joined the Foreign Service in 1966, served as permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to Australia. Before that, he was Ecuador’s permanent representative to the European Office of the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (1997-2000), ambassador to El Salvador (1994-97), minister and chargé d’affaires of the Ecuadorian Embassy in Bulgaria (1985-89), counselor to the Organization of American States (1978-79), and consul general in Chicago (1975-78).

In addition, he has held various postings in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1969, including national coordinator for entities such as Latin America, the Caribbean, European Union, Rio Group, Iberoamerican Summit and Summit of the Americas (2000-02), director general of international projects (1990-94), of Eastern Europe (1990), of information and media (1989-90), and of technical cooperation and external credit (1984), as well as director of the Department of Legalizations and the Department of Territorial Sovereignty (1983-84).

Ambassador Gallegos has also participated in numerous Ecuadorian delegations, been decorated 10 times by various countries, and taught as a professor of international law in Quito.

He speaks English and French and is married to Fabiola Jaramillo Almeida de Gallegos and has two children: Maria Cristina Gallegos Jaramillo, 24, and Jorge Luis Gallegos Jaramillo, 21.