Kevin Whitaker
| Kevin Whitaker | |
|---|---|
 |
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| United States Ambassador to Colombia | |
| Assumed office May 20, 2014 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Michael McKinley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 28, 1957 Fort Campbell North, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
Kevin Whitaker (born April 28, 1957) is a United States career diplomat[1] who is the United States Ambassador to Colombia.[2] He was confirmed by the United States Senate[3] on April 1, 2014, and sworn in on April 28, 2014.[4]
Contents
Career
Kevin Whitaker is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States.[5] Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Colombia,[6][7] he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South America in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.[8]
Whitaker has served in the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, where he was Deputy Chief of Mission (2005–07). In addition, he previously served in a number of positions at the Department of State, including as coordinator of the Office of Cuban Affairs (2002–05), Deputy Executive Secretary (2007–08), and director of the office of Andean affairs (2008–11).[1]
During his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of ambassador to Colombia, Whitaker commented on the effects of the sack of Bogotá mayor Gustavo Petro on the peace process between the Colombian government and FARC. Colombian lawmakers criticized Whitaker's comments as an intervention in Colombian internal affairs.[9] In May 2014 Venezuelan officials alleged[10] that Whitaker was personally involved in US attempts to destabilize the left-leaning government of President Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department denied the allegations[11] and an expert in cybersecurity forensics said the emails that supported the allegations were fake.[12]
Personal
Whitaker was born in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Merritt Island High School, in Merritt Island, Florida. He received his degree in history from the University of Virginia in 1979.[1]
References
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External links
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Colombia 2014–present |
Incumbent |
