Trump Nominates Philip S. Goldberg As New US Ambassador to Colombia

The White House yesterday released a statement announcing President Donald Trump’s intention to appoint Ambassador Philip Goldberg as the ambassador to Colombia, replacing Kevin Whitaker. Mr. Goldberg is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Ambassador, and is currently the Senior State Department Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.  Ambassador Goldberg has served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Embassy Havana, Cuba, Ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador to Bolivia, and Chief of Mission of the United States Office in Pristina, Kosovo.

Philip S. Goldberg of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Colombia.

Other assignments include serving as Assistant Secretary of State (Intelligence and Research) and the State Department’s Coordinator for the Implementation of United Nations Resolution 1874 on North Korea sanctions.  In addition to these roles, Ambassador Goldberg has served as the Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in Santiago, Chile, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, and as Plan Colombia Coordinator at the United States Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.

He achieved the rank of Career Ambassador in 2018 and is the recipient of a Presidential Distinguished Rank Award, two Presidential Meritorious Rank Awards, and the National Intelligence Silver Seal Medallion.  Ambassador Goldberg earned his B.S. degree from Boston University, and is fluent in Spanish.

In January 2018, Trump had nominated long time State Department diplomat  Joseph MacManus as the new ambassador but that choice was blocked in Congress, primarily by Republican senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz. Lee in a statement faulted MacManus for being a diplomat during the previous presidential administration, though practically all long-time career diplomats also were, including Ambassador Goldberg and current Ambassador to Colombia Whitaker.

Photos courtesy of the US State Department.