Trump’s Colombia Ambassador Pick Remains in Limbo as Chaos Erupts in Venezuela
Conservatives remain opposed to Macmanus, renew push for political, not career ambassadorBY: Susan Crabtree
January 24, 2019 5:00 amWith the Trump administration focused on the crisis in Venezuela and efforts to undermine Nicola Maduro's grasp on power in Caracas, foreign policy hands are concerned that Colombia, one of America's strongest allies in the region, is not receiving the attention it deserves.
Colombia has absorbed more than a million Venezuelan refugees and is facing its own humanitarian crisis as a result. The exodus has destabilized the region and appears to have overshadowed, at least temporarily, President Trump's demands that Bogota work harder to curb its outflow of drugs.
Maduro cut off ties to the United States on Wednesday after President Trump announced that he was recognizing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of the country.
Meanwhile, Trump's original choice to become ambassador to Colombia, Washington's biggest ally in Latin America, remains in limbo after a group of Senate conservatives blocked his confirmation last year.
<..snip..>
https://freebeacon.com/politics/trumps-colombia-ambassador-pick-remains-in-limbo-as-chaos-erupts-in-venezuela/
