Andres Oppenheimer
June 1, 2011
The announced departure of the top
His sudden departure has triggered a debate over whether he should be replaced by a more experienced career diplomat with better chances of quick congressional approval, or by another political appointee closer to the secretary of state and the
Among career diplomats, well-placed congressional and diplomatic sources tell me that there are two well-known envoys whose names are circulating as the top contenders for the job: Ambassadors
Brownfield is the head of the
But Brownfield took over the
Other career officers who are mentioned are U.S. ambassador to Thailand Christy Kenney, a former ambassador to
Among political appointees, the field is wide open. Two of the top contenders, former White House Latin America advisor
Supporters of the idea of naming a political appointee say that some of the most critical issues in U.S.-Latin American relations -- such as the pending free-trade agreements with
But others argue that it should be a career officer, in part, because the Obama administration should try to avoid another long political fight with
My opinion: Barring surprises, Valenzuela is likely to be succeeded by a
Will the appointment of a new head of Latin American affairs bring about any changes in U.S. policy toward
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(C) 2011 Andres Oppenheimer, The Miami Herald Distributed by Tribune Media Services