Tom Shannon Confirmed Amb. to Brazil: From State to Samba

After long delay
US Senate confirms newly appointed ambassador to Brazil

United States Senate confirmed that Thomas Shannon is to be the newly appointed US Ambassador to Brazil, after a long delay due to the veto of Republican national deputies, who have showed discontent towards US President Barack Obama’s policies as regards Latin America.

Shannon, who had been filling the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, was confirmed as the newly appointed Ambassador in the Senate’s last session before Christmas holiday.

Shannon had been appointed by Obama for the US Embassy in Brazil on May 27th, but his inauguration was soon facing obstacles: on July, Republican Senator Jim DeMint vetoed his designation -a resolution that also reached the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo Venezuela.

Senator DeMint criticized Obama for condemning Honduras coup and for asking the restitution of toppled president Manuela Zelaya, who, as Republicans assured, had made a significant approach to Hugo Chávez’s Venezuelan administration.

On November the 5th, DeMint lifted his veto after Obama’s administration stated that elections in Honduras were considered legitimate for them. The same day, Shannon’s designation faced another veto, this time by Republican Senator George LeMieux, who was feeling uneasy due to Obama’s statements as regards Latin America. Several weeks after, on December, the veto was lifted after the US State Department guaranteed that visas were to be endorsed to the Honduran people again.

Thomas Shannon is not the only ambassador to be appointed this week. Alan Solomont was designated as US Ambassador to Spain, Anne Andrew as the new Ambassador to Costa Rica and David Nelson, to Uruguay.