US Designates New 'Ambassador' to Venezuela

The United States government has designated Michael A. Barkin, who will assume his new post on May 19, as its new “ambassador” to Venezuela. As of that day, the term of the current US “ambassador” to Venezuela, who carries out his duties from Colombia, will end.

A brief profile of the new US diplomatic representative for Venezuela is presented here:

Before being appointed as ambassador to Venezuela, Barkin was the minister counselor at the US External Office for Venezuela.
Throughout his diplomatic career, Barkin has served as acting alternate representative for Special Political Affairs as part of the US Mission to the United Nations in New York. In that position, he managed US activities in the UN Security Council, including representing the United States at the UNSC.
Previously, Barkin served as minister counselor for Consular Affairs at the US Mission in Canada.
In 2014, he was appointed as deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in El Salvador.
He served as consul general at the US Consulate General in Matamoros, Mexico, in 2010.
Barkin’s other foreign assignments include service in the Netherlands, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Honduras, and Uruguay.

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Barkin is a lawyer by training and worked as a state prosecutor and public defender in Georgia prior to joining the US Foreign Service in 1995.

The change of ambassador may be related to the Biden administration’s recent attempts to get closer to Venezuela for energy interests. The previous ambassador James Story was, from the beginning of his tenure, associated with the United States’ Guaidó project and “regime change” policy in Venezuela. With the new ambassador appointment following Guaidó’s escape to the US, the Biden administration could be sending a signal that regime change operations in Venezuela may take a new turn.

(Misión Verdad) with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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