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Valenzuela, US top State Department official for Latam tenders resignation

Chilean born Valenzuela will be returning to his academic post at Georgetown University in Washington

Expressing a desire to return to his academic post at Georgetown University, Chilean-born Arturo Valenzuela tendered his resignation as the head United States advisor for Latin American Affairs on Friday, May 6.

Under his tenure, Valenzuela guided U.S. President Barack Obama on his first tour of the region in March, including the first official state visit to Chile in decades.

Born in Concepción to Methodist missionaries Raimundo Arms Valenzuela and Dorothy Bowie, Arturo A. Valenzuela migrated to the United States at the age of 16 shortly after the Chilean earthquake of 1960.

Though originally slated to stay for only a one year student exchange, the young Valenzuela would prolong his stay, completing his B.A., summa cum laude, at New Jersey’s Drew University and eventually obtaining Masters and Doctorate degrees at Columbia University.

A source of pride for many Chileans happy to see one of their fellow nationals in an important position abroad, Valenzuela forged a successful academic career focused on electoral systems and civil-military relations, particularly in Latin America. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs under the Clinton Administration and was honoured with the National Order of the Southern Cross by the government of Brazil and the Order of Boyacá by the government of Colombia.

Though his credentials and experience may leave little wonder as to why he was appointed to his current post, many conservative politicians were unhappy with his leadership.

“Assistant Secretary Valenzuela served during a period in which U.S. interests in Latin America were seriously challenged by anti-American dictators in the region,” said conservative Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairperson of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“Regrettably, Assistant Secretary Valenzuela’s tenure at the Department of State was marked by abject failure by the U.S. to stand up to the attacks against democracy and fundamental freedoms by the likes of Chavez, Ortega, Morales, Correa, and the Castros. I believe U.S. interests have suffered as a result.”

Valenzuela’s resignation has fuelled speculation about his replacement. Spokesman Mark Toner was quoted in the Associated Press as stating that the “administration [would] start looking for a successor and that it was deeply appreciative of Valenzuela’s service.”

However, Toner told Voz de America that the State Department does not have anyone in mind to cover the position. An article in Cuba-headlines ventured Nelson Cunningham, a former Clinton adviser, as one possible candidate, as well as Julia Sweig, director of Latin American Studies at the Council of Foreign Relations.

By Ivan Ebergenyi – The Santiago Times