Rita Rico has officially assumed her post as the new United States Consul in the Azores. She replaces Margaret Campbell, who served as Principal Officer for the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada from 2022 to July 2025. She was formally welcomed by the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, during a reception at the Sant’Ana Palace in Ponta Delgada. The U.S. Consulate in the Azores holds historic significance as the oldest continuously operating American consulate in the world. Originally based in Horta, on the island of Faial, the consulate was relocated to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in April 1899.