William R. Brownfield
William Brownfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2011 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | David Johnson |
| United States Ambassador to Colombia | |
| In office September 12, 2007 – August 10, 2010 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William Wood |
| Succeeded by | Michael McKinley |
| United States Ambassador to Venezuela | |
| In office October 15, 2004 – September 5, 2007 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Charles Shapiro |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Duddy |
| United States Ambassador to Chile | |
| In office March 25, 2002 – July 19, 2004 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Philip Goldberg (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Craig Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1952 (age 71–72) |
| Spouse | Kristie Kenney |
| Alma mater | Cornell University University of Texas, Austin National Defense University |
William R. Brownfield (born 1952) is a Career Ambassador in the United States Foreign Service and the current Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as of January 10, 2011.[1] He has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia.
Biography
A career Foreign Service Officer, William Brownfield was United States Ambassador to Colombia. He arrived in Colombia on August 31, 2007 and was accredited by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on September 12, 2007. On August 3, 2010, the United States confirmed Peter Michael McKinley as the new ambassador to Colombia.
Prior to arriving in Colombia, Brownfield was Ambassador to Venezuela, and before that Chile.
Ambassador Brownfield's first assignment after joining the Foreign Service in 1979 was in Maracaibo, Venezuela. His other overseas postings include service as Counselor for Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, and assignments in Argentina and El Salvador. He was temporarily assigned as Political Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command in Panama 1989-1990.
In Washington, Ambassador Brownfield's assignments have included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere (WHA), Director for Policy in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Executive Assistant in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Member of the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
Ambassador Brownfield is a graduate of St. Andrew's School (1970), Cornell University (1974) and the National War College (1993); he also attended the University of Texas School of Law (1976–1978).
Chávez attacks
In a nationally-televised speech on April 9, 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez threatened to expel Brownfield for “provoking the Venezuelan people.”[2] Chávez said “Start packing your bags, mister - if you keep on provoking us, start packing your bags, because I’ll kick you out of here.”[2]
On 25 January 2007, Brownfield was again threatened with expulsion by President Chávez. Chávez was responding to Brownfield's comments on the planned nationalization of several Venezuelan companies in which US companies are minority shareholders.[3]
Honduras
He was reportedly "not forthcoming" about the death of 4 civilians in Honduras, shot from a state department helicopter. [4]
Personal life
Brownfield is married to Kristie Kenney, the United States Ambassador to Thailand. He speaks Spanish with a pronounced Texas accent, and French adequately. Despite his long residence outside Texas, and the fact that he was not born in Texas, he considers himself a Texas native.[citation needed]
References
- ^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/154184.htm
- ^ a b "Chavez threatens to expel U.S. ambassador". MSNBC News Service Online. 2006.
- ^ CNN.com[dead link]
- ^ "State Department stymied probe into shooting of four Hondurans, whistleblower says". The New York Post. June 12, 2013.
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External links
- State Department Biography page (Assistant Secretary)
- State Department Biography page (Venezuela)
- State Department Biography page (Chile)
- Interview with William Brownfield
- U.S. Embassy in Bogotá: Ambassador Brownfield
- Appearances on C-SPAN
| Minister Plenipotentiary |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chargé d'Affaires | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
- Articles with dead external links from December 2008
- 1952 births
- Ambassadors of the United States to Chile
- Ambassadors of the United States to Colombia
- Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela
- Cornell University alumni
- Living people
- People from Austin, Texas
- University of Texas at Austin alumni
- United States Career Ambassadors