US Senate confirms new US Ambassador to Guyana

US Senate confirms new US Ambassador to Guyana

The United States Senate on Thursday confirmed that longtime diplomat Nicole D. Theriot, as the next US Ambassador to Guyana.

The confirmation follows several rounds of back and forth and negotiations in the US Senate by Members of the Foreign Relations Committee. She was eventually confirmed by a voice vote.

When accredited, Ambassador Theriot, will replace Ambassador Sarah Ann- Lynch, who has been the US Government’s Head of Mission in Guyana since March 2019.

The US Congress website describes the incoming Ambassador as a Career Member of the U.S Foreign Service with a class of Counselor.

Theriot currently serves as the Principal Officer in Karachi, Pakistan. She has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Theriot once served as Immigration and Visa Security Director at the White House National Security Council, prior to that she held the position of Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Overseas Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs

Her long career in the foreign service also saw her in the position of Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as Principal Officer in Casablanca, Morocco and other senior diplomat postings in Germany, Barbados, Iraq, France and Nigeria.

On September 7, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Theriot to be the next ambassador to Guyana, her nomination was sent to the Senate but was not acted upon for the rest of the year and was returned President to Biden on January of this year, he then nominated her again the next day for the position, following a series of debate, she was then confirmed for the position.

The US Embassy in Georgetown as well as the Local Private Sector have already held a number of farewell activities for outgoing US Ambassador Sarah Lynch.

During her tenure, she played a key role in bringing several US businesses to Guyana and collaborated with the Guyana government in a number of areas including security, environment and infrastructural development and democracy.

 Under her watch, the US Embassy also assisted Guyana in accessing COVID-19 vaccines and other emergency medical supplies during the COVID pandemic.

She was one of the critical voices following the protracted 2020 General and Regional Elections here.

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