Philip Bonsal
Philip Bonsal | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Morocco | |
| In office 1961–1962 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Woodruff Yost |
| Succeeded by | John H. Ferguson |
| United States Ambassador to Bolivia | |
| In office 1957–1959 | |
| Preceded by | Gerald A. Drew |
| Succeeded by | Carl W. Strom |
| United States Ambassador to Cuba | |
| In office 1959–1960 | |
| Preceded by | Earl T. Smith |
| Succeeded by | none |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 22, 1903 New York City, New York |
| Died | June 28, 1995 (aged 92) Washington, D.C. |
Philip Wilson Bonsal (May 22, 1903 – June 28, 1995) was a United States foreign diplomat and the last United States Ambassador to Cuba.[1]
Biography
Bonsal was born in New York in 1903, his father was Stephen Bonsal, a well-known Far Eastern correspondent. Bonsal became Ambassador to Colombia 1955, Bolivia 1957-59, Cuba 1959-60 and Morocco 1961-62.[2] Prior to becoming an ambassador Bonsal had been chief of the Latin American Division and an employee of AT&T in Cuba, he was considered a "Latin American hand" due to his apparent Latino background. After his brief spell as Ambassador to Cuba, Bonsal published the book "Cuba, Castro and the United States".
He died of pneumonia in 1995.[3]
Cuba
In 1959 Bonsal became the first United States Ambassador to return to Cuba after the Cuban revolution and reportedly attempted to find a working arrangement with the leader of the new Cuban government, Fidel Castro. Bonsal admitted that "animosity was inevitable", but he was hopeful that "at some point we can get down to a reasoned dialogue".[4] Castro was critical of the arrival of Bonsal in the Cuban press comparing him to a colonial Viceroy,[5] and dialogue was not easily forthcoming. On September 4, 1959, Bonsal met with Castro to express "serious concern at the treatment being given American private interests in Cuba both agriculture and utilities." Castro responded by saying he “admires Americans, especially tourists, for whom he is planning great things.”[6]
Bonsal's reconcillatory approach was also poorly received by leading members of the United States Congress, who felt his methods were an appeasement of communism.[7] He was withdrawn after serving barely a year in office. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed shortly after, and US diplomatic representation in Cuba was handled by the United States Interests Section in Havana, part of the embassy of Switzerland, until July 20, 2015 as the culmination of the Cuban Thaw.
References
- ^ Moncada: A Vision From Afar Arnaldo Silva León
- ^ The political graveyard biographies
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/01/obituaries/philip-w-bonsal-92-last-us-envoy-to-cuba.html
- ^ Diplomat Recalls Cuba Break in 1961 Wayne Smith Library of Congress country notes According to reports
- ^ Cuba: The United States and Batista, 1952-58 Hugh Thomas
- ^ Department of State Cable Ambassador Report on Meeting With Castro, September 4, 1959
- ^ [1] Transcript of an Interview with John F. Melby, U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Truman Presidential museum and library
See also
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
