Roy Chaderton

Roy Chaderton Matos (born August 17, 1942) is a Venezuelan politician, lawyer, and diplomat. A graduate of the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Chaderton is one of the most experienced members of the Venezuelan diplomatic corps. He was foreign minister from May 2002 to February 2004 in the government of Hugo Chávez. He then served as Venezuela's Ambassador to France until August 2007, when he was appointed as Ambassador to Mexico.

Chaderton was nominated as the new Venezuelan ambassador to the United States on April 18, 2009, following a diplomatic standoff during U.S. President George W. Bush's administration that saw the expulsion of ambassadors between the two countries.^[1]

Diplomatic career

Chaderton Matos' extensive diplomatic career spans 40 years and includes:

1) Secretary, Embassy of Venezuela in Poland (1969–1972) during the government of Rafael Caldera;

2) First Secretary, Embassy of Venezuela in West Germany (1973);

3) Counsellor, Embassy of Venezuela in the Kingdom of Belgium (1977–1978);

4) Member of permanent Venezuela mission to the United Nations in New York (1978–1979);

5) Minister Counsellor in the Ministry of Foreign Relations during the government of Luis Herrera Campins (1979–1982);

6) Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the United Nations in New York (1982–1983);

7) Ambassador of Venezuela to the Gabonese Republic (1985–1987);

8) Ambassador of Venezuela to the Kingdom of Norway (1987–1990);

9) Director General of International Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Relations in the second government of Perez (1990–1993);

10) Ambassador of Venezuela in Canada in the interim government of Ramón José Velásquez (1993–1994);

11) Vice Minister of Foreign Relations in the second government of Rafael Caldera (1994–1995);

12) Ambassador of Venezuela to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland(1996–2000);

13) Ambassador of Venezuela in Colombia in the government of Hugo Chavez (2001–2002);

14) Minister of Foreign Relations (2002–2004 );

15) Ambassador of Venezuela to the French Republic (2004–2007);

16) Ambassador of Venezuela to the United Mexican States (2007–2008); and,

17) Ambassador of Venezuela in the Organization of American States (OAS) (2008–2009)

The Cabinet of the Government of Hugo Chavez

As Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Relations May 2002 to February 2004, Chaderton Matos capably negotiated with the OAS and the Coordinada Democratica of the Venezuelan opposition.^{[citation needed]} He also was responsible for managing tense diplomatic relations with Colombia, Spain, and the United States, whose governments at the time, led by Andres Pastrana, Jose Maria Aznar, and George Bush, openly supported the opposition. In spite of being in charge of foreign relations, Chaderton Matos also worked on many issues of internal Venezuela politics.

Chaderton Matos created a debate in a television program in which he denounced racism in Venezuela, a stereotype imposed on the Venezuelan people by the communication media. He also has criticized the stereotype of terrorists that western nations project upon Muslims.

In 2004, he was named Ambassador to Venezuela in France. From that position, he denounced international media corporations, questioning the monopolization of information and suggesting reforms within UNESCO and the UN. He also criticized the exclusive use of English in many international forums.

In 2006, without leaving his post as Ambassador to France, he was chosen to be the diplomatic aide to Francisco Arias Cardenas, Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN.

On August 7, 2007, he was named Venezuelan Ambassador to Mexico.

On April 15, 2008, the Venezuelan National Assembly named him Ambassador to the Organization of American States, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

On April 18, 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez selected Chaderton Matos to be the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. The position had been vacant since the expulsion by the U.S. of previous Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S., Bernardo Álvarez Herrera, in September 2008. Alvarez was expelled in response to Venezuela's expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy. The expulsion of Duddy had been an act of solidarity with Bolivia which had expelled the U.S. ambassador in Bolivia due to accusations of involvement in supporting acts of violence by the political opposition in Bolivia and allegations of espionage by U.S. agencies such as USAID. On June 26, 2009, Presidents Chavez and Barack Obama reached agreement allowing the return on Alvarez and Duddy to their mutual posts.

In his position as Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS, Chaderton Matos has been forceful voice in a number of important discussions and debates, such as those related to the successful overturning in the OAS of the 45-year-old expulsion of Cuba from the OAS and the ongoing debate over the June 28, 2009 coup d'état in Honduras.

References

External links

• Roy Chaderton Matos's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, as Chairman of the delegation of Venezuela, September 29, 2008