Obama's Secretary-designate

The Obama administration’s appointee for the post of Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs is Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, professor of government and Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. Valenzuela’s focus in the region has previously been on Mexico and the Southern Cone, and perhaps in light of that, it is not immediately obvious where he stands on Cuba.

There are only a few comments he has made on the topic in the past year, indicating a cautious and thus far undeveloped approach to the island that is simply in line with the administration’s announced position:

“This is the time where you say look—there is change taking place in Cuba. We don’t know where that is going, and it’s a work in progress, but we should find ways to make sure that this change goes where you want it to go. A smart policy is one that tries to find opportunities to move Cuba in a different direction.” From Jake Colvin’s “The Case for a New Cuba Policy” (December 2008)

“The United States invited Cuba to resume semi-annual talks to review implementation of the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords. Cuba agreed to resume discussions and the talks were scheduled to take place in the United States in July. We are prepared to engage the Cuban government on other issues of mutual concern, such as law enforcement cases and the establishment of mail service directly between our two countries. We have informed the Cuban government that they must improve their human rights practices and provide greater respect for fundamental freedoms before there can be more significant improvements in U.S.-Cuban relations.” Valenzuela’s answer to a question from “Senator Richard Lugar’s Questions for the Record Submitted to Valenzuela” (July 2009)

Valenzuela has not yet been confirmed by Congress.