 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "William R. Brownfield" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
William Rivington Brownfield (born 1952) is a Career Ambassador in the United States Foreign Service and the former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as of January 10, 2011. 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." 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."
On January 25, 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.
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Starting on January 10, 2011, Brownfield served as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In August 2017, he announced his intent to retire by the end of September. During his career, Brownfield received the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award and was a three-time recipient of the Presidential Performance Award.
Personal life
Brownfield is married to Ambassador Kristie Kenney, former Counselor of the State Department. He speaks Spanish with a pronounced Texas accent and French.
References
- ^ United States Department of State
- ^ "Chavez threatens to expel U.S. ambassador". MSNBC News Service Online. 2006.
- "U.S. envoy says bags packed after Chavez threat". CNN. AP. January 26, 2007. Archived from the original on January 29, 2007.
- Lynch, Colum (August 27, 2017). "Top State Department Officials Step Down in "Black Friday" Exodus". Foreign Policy.
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
- Presidential Nomination: William Rivington Brownfield
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byPhilip Goldberg Acting |
United States Ambassador to Chile 2002–2004 |
Succeeded byCraig Kelly |
| Preceded byCharles Shapiro | United States Ambassador to Venezuela 2004–2007 |
Succeeded byPatrick Duddy |
| Preceded byWilliam Wood | United States Ambassador to Colombia 2007–2010 |
Succeeded byMichael McKinley |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded byDavid Johnson | Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs 2011–2018 |
Succeeded byKirsten D. Madison |
 United States ambassadors to Chile  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minister Plenipotentiary |  | |
| Chargé d'Affaires | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
United States ambassadors to Colombia  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gran Colombia | | |
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Republic of New Granada | ||
| Chargé d'Affaires | ||
| Minister Resident | ||
| United States of Colombia | ||
| Minister Resident | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Republic of Colombia | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
- 1952 births
- Living people
- Ambassadors of the United States to Chile
- Ambassadors of the United States to Colombia
- Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela
- Cornell University alumni
- People from Austin, Texas
- University of Texas School of Law alumni
- United States Career Ambassadors
- United States Assistant Secretaries of State
- United States Foreign Service personnel
- St. Andrew's School (Delaware) alumni