Appointment of Matthew Rees to Serve as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Embassy to the Republic of El Salvador
June 27, 2022
The U.S. Embassy to the Republic of El Salvador is pleased to announce the appointment of career Senior Foreign Service officer Matthew Rees to serve as the new Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Embassy to the Republic of El Salvador. Mr. Ventrell returned to Washington D.C. to resume his post as Director of the Office of Central American Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
With more than 16 years of experience with the United States Agency for International Development, (USAID), Mr. Rees has served to date as the Deputy Mission Director for USAID El Salvador. Previous development and diplomacy missions include Iraq, Colombia, Kenya, and various leadership roles at USAID and the National Security Council in Washington, D.C.
Political counselor Elias Baumann will continue to serve as acting Deputy Chief of Mission. The Embassy will continue all normal operations while the confirmation process of U.S. Ambassador-nominee to the Republic of El Salvador William Duncan continues in the U.S. Senate.