Appointment of Patrick Ventrell to Serve as U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to the Republic of El Salvador

Appointment of Patrick Ventrell to Serve as U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to the Republic of El Salvador


The U.S. Embassy announces the appointment of senior career diplomat Patrick Ventrell to serve as the new Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to the Republic of El Salvador, following the departure of Chargé d’Affaires Brendan O’Brien. Patrick will serve as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim for the coming weeks before returning to the State Department in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Ventrell currently serves as the Director of the Office of Central American Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. His previous assignments include Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, Director of the Office of Press Relations in the Bureau of Public Affairs, Director of Communications and Deputy Spokesperson at the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Western Hemisphere Programs in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and various positions at the U.S. Embassies in Bogota, San Salvador, Baghdad, and Santiago.

Political counselor Elias Baumann will serve as acting Deputy Chief of Mission. While the confirmation process of U.S. Ambassador-nominee to the Republic of El Salvador William Duncan continues in the U.S. Senate, the Embassy will continue all normal operations.