Arnold A. Chacon Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.
Arnold A. Chacon is the Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the United States of America in Madrid, Spain until the arrival of a newly appointed ambassador. He arrived on August 11, 2008, when he took up his duties as the Deputy Chief of Mission. During his previous assignment in Washington, DC, he served as the Western Hemisphere Affairs Director of the Office of Andean Affairs, with responsibilities for Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. He was Deputy Executive Secretary of the Department of State from 2005-2007, and prior to that served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador.
Mr. Chacon is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor. His broad experience includes tours in the Office of Western European Affairs, the Operations Center, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. He has served abroad in Honduras, Chile, Mexico, Italy, and Peru. He also was an American Political Science Association fellow on the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.
Mr. Chacon is originally from Denver, Colorado. He received his degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado, and studied law at the University of Michigan. His wife Alida is also a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. They have three children.
