Richard Huntington Melton (1935–) was an American career Foreign Service Officer who served as the US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nicaragua (April 1988 until July 1988, departure requested by the government of Nicaragua July 11, 1988) and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Brazil (1989 - 1993).[1]
Tenure in Nicaragua
Within hours of his arrival in Managua, the state-run radio station accused Meldon of being a CIA agent.[2]
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister, claimed, "the Embassy had been interfering in Nicaraguan affairs by encouraging protests by anti-Government groups." In a letter to Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Brockmann wrote, "Melton represented 'the Reagan Government's total disregard of the most elemental norms of international coexistence.'"[3]
Ronald Reagan ordered Melton and eight others to leave the Embassy "for abusing their privileges of residence." The embassy remained open with Ronald D. Godard as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.[4]
References
- ^ "Richard Huntington Melton (1935–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Kirby, David (April 13, 1988). "Richard Melton, the new U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, arrived..." UPI Archives. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Kinzer, Stephen (July 13, 1988). "NICARAGUA ORDERS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LEAVE COUNTRY". NY Times. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "History of Diplomatic Relations (1911 - present)". US Embassy in Nicaragua. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
External links