President Donald Trump's government decided to remove almost 30 career diplomats from their positions who were serving as ambassadors and senior chiefs of mission abroad. The measure is part of a strategy to reorganize United States foreign policy.
The objective is to ensure that those who represent the country in the world respond clearly to the presidential slogan of "America First".
The officials affected had been appointed during Joe Biden's administration, although they had managed to remain in their posts during Trump's first months. At that time, the initial reorganization was focused mainly on political positions, now the process has also been expanded to career diplomats.
End of terms and return to Washington
According to reports, last week the chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified that their terms will end in January. The information was confirmed by State Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, these are internal personnel movements.
Although ambassadors serve at the president's discretion, it is customary for them to remain in their positions for between three and four years. In this case, the diplomats do not lose their status within the foreign service. However, they must return to Washington and accept—if they so wish—new assignments.
The State Department avoided providing details about the exact number or identity of the ambassadors who were removed. However, officials defended the decision by stating that it is "a standard process in any administration".
