US/Brazil Bromance: What's in Store for Us?

Join the Weiser Diplomacy Center and American Academy of Diplomacy for a live recording of the latest episode of the podcast American Diplomat: The Stories behind the news. Ambassador Peter F. Romero and writer Laura Bennett will host Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon and discuss about current issues in Brazil from the vantage point of two practitioners who have spent decades in this region of the world.  What conditions in Brazil gave rise to the election of Jair Bolsonaro? Are there any parallels with the election of Donald Trump? What can we expect from the Trump/Bolsonaro bromance and does this threaten democracy in our two countries?

This event is free and open to the public. Check out the previous episodes of American Diplomat podcast here: https://www.amdipstories.org/ and post your questions in advance by clicking "Send a voice message to The American Diplomat".

Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon​, Jr.

Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. brings more than three decades of government service and diplomatic experience to his practice, providing strategic counsel to clients across a range of legislative, foreign policy, and national security issues. Most recently, Ambassador Shannon served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the third highest ranking position at the State Department. Holding the personal rank of Career Ambassador, he was the highest ranking member of the United States Foreign Service, the country's professional diplomatic corps. During his tenure as Under Secretary, Ambassador Shannon was in charge of bilateral and multilateral foreign policymaking and implementation, and oversaw diplomatic activity globally and in our missions to international organizations. He managed the State Department during the presidential transition, led bilateral and strategic stability talks with the Russian Federation, worked with our allies to oversee Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and expanded US engagement in Central Asia, among other things.

Ambassador Peter F. Romero

Peter F. Romero For those that know him, Pete Romero delights in listening and telling stories, firmly believing that honing these skills can not only be professionally rewarding, but also life enriching. He was honored to have had a twenty five year career as a diplomat in the US Foreign Service. In his last three postings he was head of our embassy in El Salvador, US Ambassador in Quito, Ecuador and Assistant Secretary of the Western Hemisphere Bureau at the US Department of State. His achievements in some of the world's inhospitable "hot spots" earned him multiple awards for superlative leadership. While in the diplomatic service he initiated the highly successful Plan Colombia, assisted in ending the border war between Peru and Ecuador and was a key player in the implementation of the peace accords between the government and the guerrilla front in El Salvador. Mr. Romero advises private sector clients on problem-solving and winning strategies overseas. He lectures at several of the US military's post-graduate institutions and at the graduate school of foreign service at Georgetown University. He is sought after for his experience and expertise in counter-insurgency strategies and holistic approaches to national security threats. He is a die-hard Seminole, having graduated with a BS and an MA from Florida State University.

Laura Bennett

Laura Frances Bennett holds an MFA in film and television production at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she was awarded a merit-based Tisch School of the Arts scholarship. She has written, directed, produced and edited short films that have won 11 awards and screened at 35 festivals throughout the United States, including the New Directors/New Films series at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Laura has written feature scripts including a sophisticated international political thriller, a young-adult dog show crime comedy and a supernatural thriller about an amnesiac ghost on a disappearing island. Laura speaks Spanish, French and English and has traveled in five continents, often solo and working as a volunteer. In addition to filmmaking, Laura has an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and works as professor and as a strategy consultant on non-profit and government projects aimed at promoting the public good.

• Brazil
• podcast
• Weiser Diplomacy Center
• American Academy of Diplomacy
• Peter Romero
• Tom Shannon