Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is currently experiencing the longest period without a United States ambassador in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with no immediate change expected in the near future. The US charge d’affaires, Isiah Parnell, expressed that he does not have a specific date for when a new ambassador will be appointed.
Parnell, who assumed the position in mid-May after the departure of Robert W. Thomas, emphasized his agreement with the importance of having a personal representative of the US president working as an ambassador in the Dominican Republic. He acknowledged the efforts of the embassy staff in maintaining relations between the two nations despite the absence of an ambassador.
Among the 196 countries with which the US maintains diplomatic relations, only seven currently lack a nomination for an ambassador, including the Dominican Republic. The others are Bolivia, UNESCO, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Belarus, and Afghanistan.
Haiti, which recently was in a similar situation, now has Dennis B. Hankins, a career diplomat, awaiting approval from the US Congress for his nomination as the US ambassador.
The previous US ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin Bernstein, left the country in January 2021. Since then, the diplomatic representation has been led by two Chargés d’Affaires, with Robert Thomas leaving in February and Parnell assuming the role several months later.