Tag: "Rex Tillerson"

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is considering a seasoned diplomat to be his next envoy to Latin America, according to sources. William Brownfield, a career diplomat who currently leads the State Department’s law enforcement and anti-narcotics efforts [...] The assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, covering Latin America and Canada, could play an outsized role in U.S. foreign policy given the Donald Trump administration’s fixation on immigration issues stemming from Latin America, trade deals with its closest neighbors, and the unraveling crisis in Venezuela. Brownfield is also already well-known in Latin America, having served as U.S. ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia over the past 15 years, among other positions. Foreign Policy

Tillerson said he would "make every effort" at continuing the partnership. But he said he plans to hold Colombia to its commitment to rein in drug production amid a surge in cocaine flowing from the country that many critics attribute to Santos' decision in 2015 to suspend U.S.-backed aerial fumigation of illegal coca crops."I would also seek to review the details of Colombia's recent peace agreement, and determine the extent to which the United States should continue to support it," he added. ABC News

The United States said on Tuesday it was weighing whether it would condition its support to specific modifications to the peace agreement reached last year between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC. "It's a question of how far we want to go in trying to interfere, condition or somehow undo the agreement they've reached with the FARC," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, referring to Colombian authorities while appearing before the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations. 20Minutos