Robert M. Witajewski

Since July 18, 2003, Robert M. Witajewski has been serving as Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy, Nassau pending nomination of a new ambassador by the President.

Between 2000 and 2002, Mr. Witajewski served as Deputy Director for the Office of Brazil and Southern Cone Affairs, the office responsible for dealing with the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. During this period he served for an extensive period of time as Acting Director and, on numerous occasions, as an Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. During his tenure, Argentina declared the largest sovereign default in history and the negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement with Chile were re-started and reached their concluding stage. Previous to this, Mr. Witajewski was the Deputy Coordinator for Cuban Affairs of the Office responsible for coordinating U.S. Government policy toward Cuba. During this period he was also a member of the inter-agency Senior Policy Group for Cuba chaired by the Counselor of the Department. He has lectured regularly on events in Cuba at the Foreign Service Institute and to numerous public and private groups.

Prior to serving in the Office of Cuban Affairs, Mr. Witajewski spent a year at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University where he was selected as a member of the inaugural group of two State Department officers and twelve other individuals from around the world in Princeton's new public policy program - an extremely selective program design to train public and private sector individuals to assume managerial and leadership positions in the complex public service environment.

Between 1994-97, he served as head of the Political-Economic section of the U.S. Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, Cuba, where he was responsible for all reporting on political, economic, environmental, civil aviation, and drug issues in Cuba. Other responsibilities at this time also included promoting human rights and a democratic transition in Cuba.

Mr. Witajewski served between 1992-94 in the Political Section at the U.S. Embassy in Lima. During this eventful period in Peruvian history, Abimael Guzman, founder of the Sendero Luminoso terrorist group, was captured and the Embassy was car-bombed. Mr. Witajewski was responsible for monitoring, analyzing and assisting, and working with outside monitoring groups in the transition to constitutional government during constitutional ratification, presidential, and general elections.

Mr. Witajewski was Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Sonora, Mexico from 1989 until 1994 during the period of the North American Free Trade negotiations. He established numerous links between the Arizona and Sonoran governments. In addition to writing regularly for Sonoran newspapers and magazines on bilateral and international issues, he also authored an article on crisis management for the State Department's magazine. He has also published in the Foreign Service Journal, and authored a chapter in Perspective on War and Peace in Central America published by Ohio University Press.

In January 1992, Mr. Witajewski became the second recipient, following former Interior Secretary and former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, of a special award from The Sonora-Arizona Commission for his many contributions or promoting binational relations between the two states and between the U.S. and Mexico.

Before serving in Mexico, Mr. Witajewski served as Officer-in-Charge for Nicaragua and Belize during the period that culminated in the election of Violetta Chamoro over Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista government. While serving in this capacity, he was also a regular lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute's training seminar for newly-assigned political officers.

In earlier assignments with the Department of State, Mr. Witajewski has served in the Department's 24-crisis management Operations Center, and served as political officer in Guatemala between 1983-85 during the transition to the democratically-elected Christian Democratic civilian government of Vinicio Cerezo in that country's return to democratic government. His first assignment was in Venezuela.

Mr. Witajewski has received several Superior and Meritorious Honor awards and has been listed for several years in Who's Who as well as other regional listings of prominent individuals.