United States–Venezuela relations have traditionally been characterized by an important trade and investment relationship as well as cooperation in combating the production and transit of illegal drugs.
William Rivington Brownfield is a Career Ambassador in the United States Foreign Service and the former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as of January 10,2011. He has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile,Venezuela,and Colombia.
The counselor of the United States Department of State is a position within the United States Department of State that serves the secretary of state as a special advisor and consultant on major problems of foreign policy and who provides guidance to the appropriate bureaus with respect to such matters. The counselor conducts special international negotiations and consultations,and also undertakes special assignments from time to time,as directed by the secretary of state. Currently,the counselor holds under law a rank equivalent to that of under secretary of state. Unlike the other under secretaries of state,the counselor currently does not require Senate confirmation. Historically,the role was appointed by the president,by and with the advice and consent of the United States Senate as authorized by 22 U.S. Code §2651a as one of four "other senior officials."
James Curtis Struble is a former United States ambassador to Peru. Struble is a member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. He has worked in U.S. embassies in Ecuador,Thailand,Honduras,Spain,Russia and Mexico.
Philip Thomas Reeker is an American diplomat and career foreign service officer with the Department of State who currently serves as the senior advisor for Caucasus negotiations. He was previously Chargéd'affaires of the United States mission to the United Kingdom from 2021 to 2022 and acting assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2019 to 2021.
Peter Michael McKinley is an American diplomat. A career Foreign Service Officer,McKinley served as U.S. Ambassador to Peru (2007–2010),Colombia (2010–2013),Afghanistan (2015–2016),and Brazil (2017–2018),and then as Senior Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State (2018–2019).
Stephen D. Mull is a Senior Foreign Service officer who was most recently the Acting Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. He previously served as United States Ambassador to Poland,Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and United States Ambassador to Lithuania.
James Warlick is a US diplomat,former United States Ambassador to Bulgaria.
Roberta S. Jacobson is an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from June 2016 to May 2018. She previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs from March 30,2012,to May 5,2016. The United States Senate approved her nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico on April 28,2016. In March 2018,Jacobson announced her resignation effective May 5. Foreign Policy reported on January 18,2021,that Jacobson would be in charge of Mexico–United States border affairs at the National Security Council under President Joe Biden.
Jorge Alberto Arreaza Montserrat is a Venezuelan politician who has held several important positions in the administration of President Hugo Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro. From August 2017 to August 2021,Arreaza served as Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Arreaza has been sanctioned by Canada and the United States for his role in the violation of human rights in Venezuela.
Kevin Whitaker was a United States career diplomat who is the former United States Ambassador to Colombia. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 1,2014,and sworn in on April 28,2014.
Richard Merrill Mills Jr. is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Nigeria since July 2024. He served as the United States deputy ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 to 2024 and,in that capacity,served as the U.S. Chargéd'Affaires and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations between January 20,2021,and February 24,2021,when Linda Thomas-Greenfield became ambassador. He previously served as the U.S. Chargéd'Affaires for Canada.
Todd Crawford Chapman is an American career diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Brazil from 2020 to 2021 and as the United States ambassador to Ecuador from 2016 to 2019.
Jonathan Raphael Cohen is an American diplomat and most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Egypt from November 17,2019 to March 31,2022. He previously served as the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations. From August 2016 to June 2018 he served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in early 2018 to become United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 24,2018. On January 1,2019,Cohen assumed acting duties of Ambassador to the United Nations following the resignation of Nikki Haley the previous day;with the installation of her successor Kelly Craft in September,he relinquished those duties.
Francisco "Paco" Palmieri is an American diplomat who previously served as acting assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs,leading the State Department’s efforts to advance U.S. foreign policy goals in the region from January 2017 to November 2018. Palmieri managed the successful 2018 Summit of the Americas in Peru,U.S. engagement with the Lima Group unifying 15 Western Hemisphere democracies in a multilateral diplomatic response to the crisis in Venezuela,the reorientation of U.S. foreign assistance in support of the Colombia peace process,the formulation and adoption of a new comprehensive U.S. political and economic Caribbean 2020 strategy,the launch of the renegotiation of the 50-year old Columbia River Treaty with Canada,and the multi-agency response to the ongoing migration challenges emanating from Central America. He also was responsible for the daily management of the bureau’s 53 overseas U.S. diplomatic missions,12,000 employees,and implementation of the hemisphere’s $1.58 billion foreign assistance and $290 million operating budgets. He recently served as the civilian deputy and foreign policy advisor to Admiral Craig S. Faller at United States Southern Command,succeeding former ambassador Jean Elizabeth Manes in July 2021.
Thomas Ulrich Brechbuhl is a Swiss-American businessman and former government official,having held the position of Counselor of the United States Department of State from May 1,2018,to January 20,2021. He was appointed by and reported to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,and replaced Maliz E. Beams. Along with the role of Counselor,he served as the Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the Department of State from March to September 2020.
Todd D. Robinson is an American diplomat who has served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs since September 2021. He previously served as the charge d'affaires of the U.S. embassy in Venezuela from December 2017 until being expelled in May 2018,and the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala from 2014 to 2017.
Robert Stuart Gilchrist is an American diplomat who had served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy,human rights,and labor from September 2023 to August 2024. He served as the United States ambassador to Lithuania from February 2020 to August 2023. He is a career Foreign Service Officer with the rank of minister counselor. He was appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 20,2019. Gilchrist was the fifth US ambassador from the LGBT community nominated to serve by the Trump administration.
James Broward Story is an American diplomat who served as United States ambassador to Venezuela from 2018 to 2023. During most of his tenure he was based in the Venezuela Affairs Unit of the Department of State,located at the United States Embassy in Bogota,Colombia. Story was serving as the deputy chief of mission in Caracas until his superior,Todd Robinson,was expelled and U.S. diplomatic operations in Venezuela ended due to security and operational concerns. Before arriving in Venezuela,Story was serving as Consul General in Rio de Janeiro.
William W. Popp is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Uganda since September 2023. He previously served as the United States ambassador to Guatemala.
