Biden’s top adviser for Latin America quits – DW – 02/14/2024

Juan González, the chief adviser to the President of the United States for Latin America, Joe Biden, will leave the office in mid-March, as reported by the White House spokesperson this Tuesday (02/13/2024).

Gonzalez, a Colombian native, has been a key architect of US policy toward Venezuela, confident that the lifting of sanctions will allow the government of Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections this year.

The adviser visited Caracas in 2022, along with other US advisers, to meet with Maduro, the first official trip to Venezuela by members of the White House in two decades.

Gonzalez also played a key role in US negotiations with Mexico to establish the Bicentennial Understanding, a new strategy that lays the groundwork for both countries to improve security, reduce arms trafficking into Mexico, and combat drug trafficking.

Likewise, Gonzalez was behind the creation of the Alliance for Economic Prosperity in the Americas (APEP), an initiative that Biden launched during the 2022 Summit of the Americas.

Born in Cartagena (Colombia), González has a particularly close relationship with Biden: since the president took office in January 2021, he has served as Latin America director of the White House National Security Council and was one of his main advisers on foreign policy. During the 2020 election campaign.

Additionally, González was one of Biden’s top advisers for Latin America during Barack Obama’s second term as vice president (2009–2017). He will be replaced by Daniel Erickson, the ‘number 2’ in the Latin American portfolio at the US Department of Defense, the spokesman indicated.

gs (afp, efe)