US diplomats depart Latin America-focused mission amid clashes with Trump ally
Source: Reuters
June 18, 2026 2:56 PM EDT Updated 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - Several senior U.S. diplomats posted to the Organization of American States have quit or been fired amid clashes with a Trump-appointed ambassador, according to six sources familiar with the matter, changes that have cut the institutional expertise available to the historically important U.S. mission.
Founded in 1948, the OAS is the Western Hemisphere's main multilateral forum and focuses on regional security, human rights, democracy and economic development. The Washington-based body has played a central role in settling contested elections in Latin America in recent years and has often brought together U.S. allies in condemning human rights violations in authoritarian states like Cuba and Nicaragua.
In recent months, however, the U.S. mission to the OAS has faced significant staff turnover, with the deputy chief of mission, the chief of staff, a senior political counselor and at least one more foreign service officer departing, according to the sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Those individuals comprised a significant chunk of the U.S. mission - which typically hosts just a handful of full-time foreign service officers - and essentially its entire senior staff, the sources said. The departures are the latest example of how the Trump administration is reshaping the diplomatic corps, in many cases by sidelining senior career diplomats.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-diplomats-depart-latin-america-focused-mission-amid-clashes-with-trump-ally-2026-06-18/
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