Why the US does not have ambassadors in more than half of Latin American countries (and what consequences it has)

If the appointment of ambassadors were an indicator of the importance that a government attaches to other countries, Latin America would not seem to rank very high on President Joe Biden’s agenda.

Currently, the United States only has ambassadors in 10 of its 21 embassies in the region.

Among the vacancies are Brazil, the largest economy, and Chile, one of the most prosperous countries; as well as several Central American states that are key for the United States in terms of managing migratory flows, such as El Salvador and Honduras.

The responsibility for these appointments does not fall exclusively on the White House, since each of these appointments must be confirmed by the Senate.

The Biden administration has nominated ambassadorial candidates for five countries in the region that have not yet received approval from the Upper House, but has not made any nominations in six other cases.

Although these are shared responsibilities between the executive and the Senate, the effect in diplomatic terms is the same. And, according to experts, the result is not positive.

But what is happening?

Troubling omissions

“This is worrying. And it doesn’t help just the time when there is a perception that the United States is losing interest in Latin America, where China is gaining more strength, as well as Russia and other countries. This obviously has an impact,” Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank based in Washington, tells BBC Mundo.

“Having a representative of the United States government with high authority sends a very clear message of interest, of commitment to the bilateral relationship. This does not mean that there cannot be other officials, but having the second in charge is never the same as having an ambassador. Also, this lends itself to interpretations from the host country that perhaps thinks the worst, that the United States doesn’t care, and that has a very negative impact on the relationship,” she adds.

These vacancies also occur in a year in which the United States will host the Summit of the Americas, to be held in June in Los Angeles (California), an event that traditionally brings together the leaders of the entire American continent.

Regarding that meeting, Shifter expresses his concern about the fact that among the diplomats who have not been confirmed in their positions so far is Frank Mora, the candidate for the post of ambassador to the OAS.

“He was nominated more than six months ago and hasn’t even had a Senate hearing. The OAS has played an important role in all these summits and it is shameful that the United States does not have an ambassador there when the Summit of the Americas is 3 or 4 months away, at a key and critical moment for the region and for relations with the United States. United,” says Shifter.

In some cases, the lack of a US ambassador is due to decisions made based on bilateral relations. That is the case in Bolivia, where there has been no US ambassador since 2008 when then-president Evo Morales expelled the US representative, and in Cuba, where there has been no ambassador since the rupture of diplomatic relations in 1961.

With Venezuela, a paradoxical situation arises because the embassy in Caracas is closed, but there is a designated US ambassador who dispatches from Bogotá.

a global problem

But although the lack of US ambassadors in Latin America is notorious and majority, in reality, rather than reflecting the interest or lack of interest of the Biden government in the region, it is a sign of the current functioning of the political system in the United States.

According to a report from the US State Department, of 227 ambassadors to be appointed by the Biden government, there were 80 vacant positions in mid-February 2022.

Among the vacant posts are many in key countries. Thus, for example, in Europe there is no ambassador to Germany, the UK, or even Ukraine, which is in the midst of the biggest geopolitical crisis today.

Biden also has no representatives in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India or South Korea.

“The explanation is not because the government is not appointing people, but because our political system is so dysfunctional that unfortunately there can be no procedures for quick confirmation,” says Shifter.

“It is a worldwide phenomenon. I think it is a mistake to interpret it as a signal for Latin America. It is a message to the world that the US system is dysfunctional and this has a very high cost for its prestige and its image. So, Latin America is not an exception, it is part of the rule, of the global pattern”, she underlines.

In recent times, US presidents have faced increasing difficulties in obtaining the confirmation of their candidates for various positions by the Senate.

Every time a new president arrives at the White House, he must name some 4,000 positions among which there are about 1,200 that require the approval of the Upper House. This group includes all ambassadors.

During his first 11 months in office (counted until December 31, 2021), Joe Biden only managed to get the Senate to confirm 55 ambassadors, which is equivalent to 63% of all his candidates, the lowest rate recorded in the last two decades , according to data from the NGO Partnership for Public Service.

By contrast, in a similar period, George W. Bush achieved the approval of 90% of his candidates, Barack Obama, 85%; and Donald Trump, 75%.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made numerous calls to the Senate to speed up the confirmation process for diplomats, warning of possible negative repercussions.

“This is a huge problem. In virtually every challenge that we face, including dealing with Russia, with China, with non-state actors, we face difficulties because of the fact that we don’t have our full national security and foreign policy team on the ground”, acknowledged Blinken during a visit to Indonesia on December 14, 2021.

These limitations may have serious consequences judging from the findings of the bipartisan commission that investigated the attacks of September 11, 2001, and concluded that delays in appointing key personnel to national security positions contributed to the failure of the United States to prevent them. .