8 months after his appointment, the future of Jean Elizabeth Manes as the new US ambassador to Colombia still stuck. And enough.
The career diplomat and former ambassador to El Salvador was nominated by President Joe Biden as its new representative before the House of Nariño on January 3. However, her process in the Senate, which must confirm her appointment, remains in limbo.
And according to Democratic and Republican sources consulted by this newspaper, no movements are seen in the near future. The nomination was sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Democratic legislator Bob Menéndez, and who is the one who must summon a confirmation hearing, the next step in your selection process.
Manes, however, does not appear on the calendar yet and is unlikely to appear in the coming months as Congress is fully engaged in negotiations over the budget that allows the government to continue operating and which could, if they fail, lead to a federal government shutdown later this month.
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But to that are added the budget negotiations for the year 2024 and the start of political campaigns ahead of next year’s elections, which is already consuming much of the political oxygen that exists in the US capital and which will become scarcer as the electoral process begins.
Among the Democrats, they cite a bottleneck in the confirmation process for President Biden’s nominees for embassies and other positions. This, in part, thanks to the Republican opposition that has set up a whole “tortoise operation” against the appointments.
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But in the case of Manes there is also strong opposition. At the end of May, Republican Senator Marco Rubio came out in open opposition to his nomination and announced that he would vote against it if his name is submitted for consideration.
“After careful review and consideration of your qualifications and performance in previous positions, I cannot support the nomination of Jean Manes to serve as US Ambassador to Colombia. The US diplomatic mission in Bogota is among the most strategically important for the interests of both our country and for regional stability in the Western Hemisphere,” said the Senator.
According to Rubio, “we need an ambassador who can engage constructively and coordinate with agencies and large interagency teams to effectively promote US interests and defend us from threats in the region, including narco-terrorism, illicit trafficking and a destabilizing autocratic narco-regime in Venezuela. I appreciate and respect the service and long career of Ambassador Manes, but cannot support her nomination. for this vitally important position.”
Rubio hasn’t changed positions since. In addition, there are other Republicans within the Foreign Relations Committee and the Upper House who do not like Manes either and would vote in opposition.
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We need an ambassador who engages constructively and coordinates with agencies and large interagency teams.
That means that even if Menéndez calls a hearing to evaluate her, her appointment could be blocked. given the power that senators have to raise a “hold” or brake on appointments. Although the “holds” are not unlimited in time, yes they could drag the process many more months and raise the political cost that Democrats will have to pay to force his confirmation.
Some of the opposition to Manes among Republicans stems from her years as ambassador to El Salvador. and his conflict with President Nayib Bukele, who has very good relations with some members of this party. According to sources consulted by this newspaper, Bukele would even have hired a lobbying firm to oppose his confirmation.
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But also, apparently there are complaints from other former officials who worked with her during her period in San Salvador that they would be waging war.
In this contextfew see chances that the confirmation will advance in the remainder of the year and difficult next year given that it is legislative and presidential elections.
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Something, in any case, quite unusual in the history of bilateral relations. Colombia, considered one of the best allies of the US, has not had a US ambassador since June 2022. That is to say, 15 months go by without a head with the rank of ambassador in the diplomatic mission.
The position is currently held by the charge d’affaires and acting ambassador Francisco Palmieri.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter @sergom68
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