New class of fellows to bring deep foreign policy experience and understanding of US-Caribbean and US-Colombia relations, as well as China’s role in the Western Hemisphere
Washington DC – April 26, 2022 – The Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center today announced the appointment of three new nonresident senior fellows: Ambassador Kevin Whitaker, former US Ambassador to Colombia; Ambassador Riyad Insanally, Guyana’s former Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS); and Sally Yearwood, Counselor of the Government of Barbados at the Inter-American Development Bank.
The three experts join the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at a crucial time in the Center’s history following the recent announcement of American philanthropist and businesswoman Adrienne Arsht’s $25-million gift to endow the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. Whitaker, Insanally, and Yearwood’s expert advice and analysis will guide the Center’s work amid a rapidly changing international order while highlighting the role Latin America and Caribbean actors will play in shaping it.
“As we continue to seek avenues to accelerate greater prosperity and opportunities across the Western Hemisphere, we could not have asked for better partners and expert voices to join the Council in our mission to shape the global future. Ambassador Insanally and Sally Yearwood bring a profound understanding of the strategic role that the Caribbean plays for the stability and prosperity of the Americas. Ambassador Whitaker brings a nuanced approach to the US-Colombia partnership and is a true champion of US engagement and leadership with the region,” said Jason Marczak, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.
The three new nonresident senior fellows will add new perspectives and thought leadership to the Center at a time when there is an urgent opportunity for greater US-Caribbean partnership, and as the US and Colombia celebrate the 200-year anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
As Guyana’s ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the OAS, Ambassador Insanally served as chair of the OAS Permanent Council. “I am honored and delighted to join the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center’s Caribbean Initiative at a time when global and hemispheric events make it all-important that the long-standing ties between the Caribbean and the United States be strengthened through meaningful engagement and action,” said Ambassador Insanally.
Ambassador Kevin Whitaker, a member of the Atlantic Council’s US-Colombia Task Force, served forty-two years in the US Foreign Service, achieving the rank of career minister. He was the longest-serving US ambassador to Colombia in a century (2014-2019). “It’s an enormous honor to be associated with the Council and especially the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, which is known not only for the balance and rigor of its analysis, but also for its enduring focus on suggesting practical, well-considered, and implementable policy approaches,” said Ambassador Kevin Whitaker.
Sally Yearwood currently represents the Government of Barbados and the Caribbean Constituency as a counselor on the board of the Inter-American Development Bank. Yearwood has worked with governments and private sector groups in Central American and Caribbean countries for over twenty-five years. “Trade and economic development are central drivers of the US-Caribbean relationship. I believe that the Atlantic Council’s Caribbean initiative is providing an essential forum for public-private dialogue on these issues,” said Sally Yearwood.
Please email inquiries to achavez@atlanticcouncil.org.
The Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center broadens understanding of regional transformations and delivers constructive, results-oriented solutions to inform how the public and private sectors can advance hemispheric prosperity.
Further reading
Tue, Mar 1, 2022
Financial de-risking in the Caribbean: The US implications and what needs to be done
Report By Jason Marczak, Wazim Mowla
This report identifies how the withdrawal of correspondent banking relations, otherwise known as de-risking, affects Caribbean economies, people, and US-Caribbean relations.
Wed, Dec 8, 2021
A plan for Colombia’s COVID recovery and why it matters for the United States
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The continuity of Colombia’s prosperity and role as a key US partner depends, in part, on the country’s ability to swiftly recover from COVID-19. In 2020, lockdowns and mobility restrictions led to a major recession in Colombia, exacerbating unemployment, poverty, and pre-existing inequalities.
Wed, Feb 23, 2022
US-China vaccine diplomacy: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
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The implications of diverging COVID-19 responses, notably at the onset of the pandemic’s rise in the region, will reverberate beyond the health sector. What might the differing US and China pandemic approaches portend for future influence in the region?