U.S. Ambassador to Mexico to Quit Amid Tense Relations Under Trump

[47of74]

Source: New York Times

The United States ambassador to Mexico plans to resign from her post in May, according to a memo circulated on Thursday to embassy staff, the latest in a string of senior diplomatic departures from the region — and more broadly from the State Department.

The ambassador, Roberta S. Jacobson, 57, served just under two years in the post, after her arrival was delayed by a prolonged confirmation process. Analysts say her departure will be deeply felt by both American and Mexican officials — she was one of the most experienced Latin America experts in the State Department, having spent most of her 31 years there focusing on the region.

“I have come to the difficult decision that it is the right time to move on to new challenges and adventures,” Mrs. Jacobson wrote in her letter. “This decision is all the more difficult because of my profound belief in the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship and knowledge that it is at a crucial moment.”

The Trump administration has selected a nominee to fill Mrs. Jacobson’s vacancy, but has not yet released the name, according to an American official with knowledge of the decision who was not authorized to comment publicly and who discussed the matter on the condition of anonymity.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/world/americas/us-ambassador-mexico.html

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I don't blame her for leaving.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. "The Trump administration has selected a nominee to fill Mrs. Jacobsons vacancy,..."

Speedy Gonzalez. Hey, he already speaks Mexican.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedy_Gonzales

[Botany]

2. Sr. Trump es un tonto y pandajo

Everybody is getting out now. I bet you Tillerson will be gone PDQ.

[SunSeeker]

3. So depressing. It's like the Chinese Cultural Revolution, when all the intellectuals were purged.

The governmental brain drain caused by smart people fleeing Trump will have reverberations for years.

[47of74]

8. I was mentioning to someone I know that from time to time I peruse the job market...

And every once in a while I see listings for jobs with the Federal government. I generally say HELL NO. To get me to work for the Federal Government now you would have to pay me enough that I could pay off every last cent on Earth that I owe anyone and enable me to retire in five years. And it would have to be my absolute dream job too.

I don't want to work for a Federal Government where Herr Orange is my ultimate boss and I would have to check my brain, my dignity, my self respect, and self worth at the door.

It would be different if we had a Democratic President or even a halfway reasonable Republican. Hell, for someone like President Obama I would have taken a pay cut to work for that man.

[keithbvadu2]

4. Give the job to Super Jared.

Give the job to Super Jared.

Surely there will be some secrets that he can sell to the Russians.

[matt819]

5. Embassies without Ambassadors

Here's the list of countries/international organizations without a US Ambassador, as of February 21:

From: http://www.afsa.org/appointments-donald-j-trump

African Union
Albania
Armenia
ASEAN
Azerbaijan

Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi

Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo (DR)
Cote d'Ivoire
Cuba
Cyprus

Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
European Union

The Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Greece
Guinea
Guyana

Honduras
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland

Jamaica
Jordan

Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic

Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania

Macedonia
Madagascar & Comoros
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Mozambique

Nepal
Nicaragua
Nigeria

OECD
Oman
OSCE

Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu
Philippines
Qatar

Romania

Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Sri Lanka & Maldives
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Syria

Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan

Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
UN / Conf. on Disarmament
UN / Geneva
UN / Human Rights Council
UN / Political Affairs
UN / Management & Reform
UN / Rome
UNESCO
Uruguay
Uzbekistan

Venezuela

Yemen

Zimbabwe

To be fair, I don't know the breakdown in Obama's second year, but this seems excessive, but in the trump regime not surprising. You can argue, I suppose, that some of these countries and organizations can get along just fine with a charge d'affaires. I've served in embassies and consulates, and I can tell you that's a pretty stupid and short-sighted view, even in countries that might otherwise be deemed as marginal. And this list includes countries that are far from marginal, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Yemen, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

Of those embassies with ambassadors, political appointees outnumber career ambassadors 2-1. I can't recall the divide when I served in the 1980s and 1990s, but I served under career ambassadors in all of my posts.

And on top of this, there are hundreds of schedule c appointments he could have made but didn't. And then there are the schedule c appointments he made that have been abject failures and/or that have been made to keep an eye on "deep state" personnel (a la Cuba and Russia).

Of course, none of this is news, but it is still distressing.

[dembotoz]

7. Oh send me.there r some nice vacation spots there

See it as a temp job til he gets impeached. Probably decent pay and benefits. Couldn't possibly do worse than a trump pick...

[Judi Lynn]

9. Unbelievable! Thanks for the information. n/t

[SergeStorms]

11. The GOP doesn't believe in diplomacy anymore.

Hence the gutting of the State Department. Everything will be handled by Presidential fiat now, and that will work out super well since our "president" knows absolutely nothing about the world.

"America first!" Why that means we have to neglect relations with every other country in the world (all except Russia, of course) mystifies me. This is the Trump/Bannon "doctrine". I say it's much less "doctrine" and much more madness.

[duforsure]

6. Countries without a leader

The USA.

[Judi Lynn]

10. U.S. Ambassador To Mexico Is Latest Career Diplomat To Resign

March 1, 20187:31 PM ET

Roberta Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has handed in her resignation. The career diplomat, with more than 30 years in government service says it was a difficult decision to leave. Jacobson, 57, is the latest in a string of high-level diplomats to depart the State Department since President Trump took office.

In a note to embassy staff, Jacobson said, "The decision is all the more difficult because of my profound belief in the importance of the U.S. – Mexico relationship and knowledge that it is at a crucial moment."

She said her resignation will be effective May 5.

Jacobson, who was appointed by President Barack Obama and assumed her post in 2016, did not give a reason for her resignation. But according to former U.S. and Mexican diplomats, the strain in the countries' relations made her job particularly difficult.

More:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/01/590081271/u-s-ambassador-to-mexico-is-latest-career-diplomat-to-resign