List of ambassadors of the United States to Cape Verde
| Ambassador of the United States to Cape Verde | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
 Jeff Daigle since September 10, 2019 | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | Melissa F. Wells as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | September 16, 1976 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Praia |
Cape Verde had been a Portuguese colony for more than 500 years since 1456. In 1974 Portugal and the Cape Verdeans signed an agreement to form a transitional government, and Cape Verde gained full independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.
The United States recognized Cape Verde and commissioned its first ambassador Melissa F. Wells in 1976. Ambassador Wells was concurrently accredited to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde while resident at Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. In 1980, an embassy was established in the capital Praia with a chargé d’affaires managing the business of the embassy. Until 1980 one ambassador, resident at Bissau, was concurrently commissioned to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
Ambassadors[]
U.S. diplomatic terms
Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented Credentials | Terminated Mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa F. Wells – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 16, 1976 | November 18, 1976 | March 23, 1977 | |
| Edward Marks – Career FSO | September 15, 1977 | October 18, 1977 | July 11, 1980 | Embassy Praia was established January 28, 1978 with Howard McGowan as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. The ambassador remained in Bissau. | |
| Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO | September 5, 1980 | September 24, 1980 | Left Bissau, March 30, 1983 | In 1983 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Cape Verde. | |
| John Melvin Yates – Career FSO | March 18, 1983 | April 26, 1983 | May 24, 1986 | ||
| Vernon Dubois Penner, Jr. – Career FSO | June 16, 1986 | July 15, 1986 | November 21, 1989 | ||
| Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSO | November 21, 1989 | December 23, 1989 | December 31, 1992 | ||
| Joseph Monroe Segars – Career FSO | July 14, 1992 | March 24, 1993 | March 17, 1996 | ||
| – Career FSO | June 6, 1996 | July 30, 1996 | August 11, 1999 | ||
| Michael D. Metelits – Career FSO | July 7, 1999 | September 15, 1999 | July 24, 2002 | ||
| Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO | October 3, 2002 | November 21, 2002 | April 4, 2005 | ||
| Roger D. Pierce – Career FSO | June 21, 2005 | September 27, 2005 | June 9, 2008 | ||
| Marianne M. Myles – Career FSO | June 6, 2008 | August 6, 2008 | August 1, 2011 | ||
| - Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | August 1, 2011 | Unknown | December 9, 2011 | |
| Adrienne S. O'Neal - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | October 19, 2011 | December 9, 2011 | January 31, 2015 | |
| Donald Heflin - Career FSO | December 18, 2014 | January 27, 2015 | September 11, 2018 | ||
| John Jefferson Daigle - Career FSO | May 29, 2019 | June 29, 2019 | Incumbent |
See also[]
- Embassy of Cape Verde in Washington, D.C.
- Cape Verde – United States relations
- Foreign relations of Cape Verde
- Ambassadors from the United States
References[]
- U.S. Department of State: Background Notes on Cape Verde
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of State website https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/. (U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets)
This article incorporates External links[]
Categories:
- Cape Verde politics-related lists
- Lists of ambassadors of the United States
- Ambassadors of the United States to Cape Verde
- Cape Verde–United States relations