Juan Sebastian Gonzalez
Juan Sebastian Gonzalez | |
|---|---|
| Senior Director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere of the United States | |
| In office January 2021 – March 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Leader | Jake Sullivan, head of the National Security Council |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| In office March 2016 – January 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cartagena, Colombia |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sarah Platts |
| Education | University of Buffalo (BS) Georgetown University (MA) |
Juan Sebastián González is a Colombian-American politician who worked in U.S. foreign policy, particularly concerning Latin America.
Early life and education
At the age of seven, González immigrated to the United States with his parents from Cartagena, Colombia, settling in New York. He pursued higher education at the University of Buffalo, earning a degree in sciences, and later obtained a master's degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.[1][2]
Career
González served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 2001 to 2003. From 2011 to 2013, he was the U.S. National Security Council Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, focusing on policy development in the Andean region.[3] In 2013, González became Special Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, advising on Western Hemisphere affairs. He later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, overseeing diplomatic engagement in Central America and the Caribbean.[3]
During the Trump administration, he was a Senior Fellow at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and led the Latin America practice at The Cohen Group.[4]
Biden Administration
González was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council in the Biden administration, helping shape U.S. policy toward Latin America.[5][6] He worked on migration policy,[7][8] challenges of corruption,[9][10] and drug trafficking.[11]
Gonález met with Argentina's president Javier Milei at the White House.[12] He attended the inauguration of Ecuador's president Guillermo Lasso.[13] He travelled to Guyana with Jon Finer to discuss issues of oil and security.[14] He travelled to Venezuela in 2022.[15]
He worked on U.S.-Venezuela policy,[16] and some criticized his policy choices.[17][18] He negotiated U.S. sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis for the Maduro government; after the disputed 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, some sanctions were reimposed on the Maduro government.[18][19][20] He negotiated with Venezuelan politician Jorge Rodríguez for the release of Americans that were determined to be wrongfully imprisoned.[21]
Gonzalez is featured in a documentary film Take No Prisoners (film) that centers on the detention of Eyvin Hernandez.[22]
Georgetown University
In February 2024, González announced his departure from his government position,[17][18] citing personal reason,[23] and took a position as a fellow at Georgetown's Americas Institute.[24]
Personal life
González is married to Sarah Platts, and they have two children.[25]
Sources
- ^ Lugones, Paula (2021-04-08). "Quién es Juan Sebastián González, el enviado de Joe Biden que llegará a la Argentina" [Who is Juan Sebastián González, Joe Biden's envoy who will arrive in Argentina?]. Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "President Biden Taps SFS Faculty and Alumni for Top Positions in New Administration". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. 2021-02-10. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ a b "Gonzalez, Juan Sebastian". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "Juan Sebastian Gonzalez". Concordia. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "Juan Gonzalez – Inter-American Dialogue". Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Institute, Georgetown Americas. "NSC Official Juan S. Gonzalez Discusses U.S.-Latin American Relations under the Biden Administration". americas.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "'Predatory Elite' Also Bear The Blame For Migrant Crisis, NSC's Juan Gonzalez Says". NPR. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "Biden officials to head to Mexico for immigration talks". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ ""A Leader Unready to Go after Corruption Won't be a U.S. Ally"". “A Leader Unready to Go after Corruption Won't be a U.S. Ally”. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Ávalos, Héctor Silva (2021-02-16). "Biden and Central America's Anti-Corruption Crusade". InSight Crime. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Martin, Eric. "U.S. Tells Mexico Drug War's Failure Requires New Strategy". Bloomberg.
- ^ "Milei makes contact with Biden administration in Washington". Buenos Aires Times. 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "White House Press Release - President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Ecuador to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Guillermo Lasso Mendoza | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "Biden Officials Headed Guyana Amid Dispute Over Oil Wealth". Bloomberg.
- ^ Hudson, John; Schmidt, Samantha (2022-03-07). "U.S. officials make rare trip to Venezuela, discuss resuming oil imports to help replace Russian fuel". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "AQ Podcast: The White House's Juan Gonzalez on the Venezuela-U.S. Deal". Americas Quarterly. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ a b "ABC: La caída del hombre que le entregó a Maduro todo lo que quería" [ABC: The fall of the man who gave Maduro everything he wanted]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ a b c An Election between Sanctions and Transition: Venezuela at a Crossroads, The International Spectator
- ^ US needs to see more from Maduro to ease Venezuela sanctions, Bloomberg, May 19, 2022
- ^ Letter from Charles E. Grassley to Juan Gonzalez, U.S. Senate, November 3, 2023
- ^ Ciralsky, Adam (2024-05-29). "Exclusive: Inside America's Secret Efforts to Free US Hostages". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Dericks, Cody (2025-03-08). ""TAKE NO PRISONERS" - Review". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Bloomberg
- ^ Institute, Georgetown Americas. "Juan Gonzalez". americas.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Giraldo, Isabel (2020-10-22). "Juan González Román, el colombiano que ha trabajado de la mano con Joe Biden" [Juan González Román, the Colombian who has worked hand in hand with Joe Biden]. ELESPECTADOR.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-16.