U.S. Senate Building in Washington, D.C.

(AP Photo)

Share

Open Desks in Latin America: Confirming U.S. Ambassadors

By Kezia McKeague

Backlogged ambassadorial appointments undermine U.S. interests in the hemisphere, writes AS/COA's Kezia McKeague for U.S. News & World Report.

A critical element in this summer’s surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America was a campaign of rumors spread by smuggling networks about U.S. immigration policy. Desperate to protect their children from pervasive gang violence, many parents wanted to believe that children who came to the United States would be allowed to stay. In this context, the job of a U.S. ambassador in Guatemala would be to provide accurate information about U.S. policy and work with the host government on addressing the root causes of the broader security crisis.

It would be, that is, if the United States had an ambassador in Guatemala....

Read the full article in U.S. News & World Report's online opinion section.

Related

Explore