Paul A. Trivelli
Encyclopedia
Paul Arthur Trivelli is a United States diplomat
and career foreign service officer
. As of 2008, he is serving as the foreign policy
advisor to Admiral James G. Stavridis
, Commander of United States Southern Command
. Prior to his current posting, he was the United States Ambassador to Nicaragua
2005–08.
Trivelli graduated from Williams College
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree
in biology
in 1974 and from the University of Denver
with a Master of Arts
degree in international studies in 1978. He entered the Foreign Service
in 1978 and for most of his career has served as an Economic/Commercial Officer. He has been posted to Mexico City
, the U.S. Department of State's
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
, Quito
, Panama City
, El Salvador
, Monterrey
, and Managua
. In 1996, Trivelli received a M.A. in national security
studies from the Naval War College
. From 1998 to 2002, Trivelli served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was director of the Office of Central American Affairs from July 2002 to November 2003.
Trivelli was announced as the nominee of President
George W. Bush
to be the U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua on May 13, 2005. The nomination was sent to the Senate
on May 16 and was confirmed
on May 26.
Trivelli was the source of much controversy for his remarks about the 2006 Nicarguan presidential election
and his warnings about U.S. economic retailiation if Sandinista
candidate Daniel Ortega
won the election. Specifically, he expressed the desire of the United States government to see the split conservative parties unite behind a single candidate, even going so far as to offer to fund such a joint primary election. Additionally, he explicitly threatened to cut off $175 million in Millennium Challenge Account funding.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and career foreign service officer
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
. As of 2008, he is serving as the foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
advisor to Admiral James G. Stavridis
James G. Stavridis
James G. Stavridis is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the current Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The first Navy officer to hold these positions, he assumed command in early summer 2009. He previously served as Commander, U.S...
, Commander of United States Southern Command
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
. Prior to his current posting, he was the United States Ambassador to Nicaragua
United States Ambassador to Nicaragua
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors, or other Chiefs of Mission, to Nicaragua. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.-Ambassadors:-See also:...
2005–08.
Trivelli graduated from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in 1974 and from the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
with a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in international studies in 1978. He entered the Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1978 and for most of his career has served as an Economic/Commercial Officer. He has been posted to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, the U.S. Department of State's
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
In the United States Government, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs is a part of the U.S. Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, as well as advising the Under Secretary for Political Affairs...
, Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, and Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
. In 1996, Trivelli received a M.A. in national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
studies from the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
. From 1998 to 2002, Trivelli served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was director of the Office of Central American Affairs from July 2002 to November 2003.
Trivelli was announced as the nominee of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to be the U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua on May 13, 2005. The nomination was sent to the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on May 16 and was confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
on May 26.
Trivelli was the source of much controversy for his remarks about the 2006 Nicarguan presidential election
Nicaraguan general election, 2006
Nicaragua held a general election on 5 November 2006. The country's voters went to the polls to elect a new President of the Republic and 90 members of the National Assembly, all of whom will serve five-year terms...
and his warnings about U.S. economic retailiation if Sandinista
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
candidate Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
won the election. Specifically, he expressed the desire of the United States government to see the split conservative parties unite behind a single candidate, even going so far as to offer to fund such a joint primary election. Additionally, he explicitly threatened to cut off $175 million in Millennium Challenge Account funding.