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.
David Maclain Hale is an American diplomat and career ambassador,who previously served as the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He is currently a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Wilson Center,on detail from the Department of State.
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).
Kenneth H. Merten is an American diplomat who is the United States ambassador to Bulgaria since April 2023. Merten has served in various positions in the Department of State beginning in 1987,most notably as ambassador to Haiti from 2009 to 2012,ambassador to Croatia from 2012 to 2015,and special coordinator for Haiti from 2015 to 2017.
Michael A. Hammer is an American diplomat who is serving as the United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa as of 2022. A career member of the United States Foreign Service,Hammer previously served as the United States ambassador to Chile from 2014 to 2016 and the United States ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018 to 2022.
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.
Brian Andrew Nichols is an American diplomat serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. He previously served as the United States Ambassador to Peru from 2014 until 2017,as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2018 until 2021.
The Embassy of the United States in Caracas is a United States embassy that represents the United States in Caracas,Venezuela. The embassy provides assistance to American citizens and residents who live in Venezuela and issues visas to foreign nationals,who are Venezuelan and legal residents in Venezuela,who wish to visit or immigrate to the United States.
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.
John D. Feeley is an American diplomat. He was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama from 2015 until his resignation took effect on March 9,2018.
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.
Kimberly Breier is an American diplomat,who served as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs from October 15,2018 until her resignation in August 2019.
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.
