MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Jon Benjamin, next UK ambassador in Chile

Jon Benjamin has been appointed British Ambassador to Chile in succession to Mr Howard Drake OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

Mr Benjamin will take up his appointment during December 2009, according to a release from the Foreign Office.

According to his Curriculum Vitae Mr. Benjamin is currently in New York, in Secondment to the Eurasia Group (political risk consultancy); from 2005 to 2008 he was Deputy Consul General and Deputy Head of Mission, subsequently Acting Consul General in New York and before that for a short period Counsellor in Counter-terrorism and Human Rights, in Washington.

2002 – 2005, FCO, Head of Human Rights Policy Department; 2000 – 2002 FCO, Deputy Head of Drugs and International Crime Department; 2000 FCO, Head of Zimbabwe Emergency Unit; 1996 – 1999, Ankara, First Secretary, Head of Political and Public Affairs Section; 1995 – 1996, Full-time Turkish language training in London and Istanbul; 1993 – 1995; FCO, Chief-of-staff to Minister of State responsible for EU/Europe and Latin America; 1992 – 1993, FCO, Head of Section for Central Asia and the Caucasus, Eastern Department; 1988 – 1991, Jakarta, Third, later Second Secretary (Political); 1987 – 1998, Full-time Indonesian language training in Melbourne and Yogyakarta; 1986 – 1987, FCO, Desk Officer for Burma and Laos, South East Asian Department and in 1986, DFID (then ODA), Desk Officer for Pakistan.