Quick Facts
Biography
Liliana Ayalde (born March 1956) is the former United States Ambassador to Brazil and was previously the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the United States State Department with responsibility for the Offices of Caribbean Affairs, Central American Affairs and Cuban Affairs. Since January 2017 she has been serving as the Civilian Deputy to the Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor for the United States Southern Command.
Education
Ayalde earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of International Studies at American University and a Master's in Public Health from Tulane University.
Career
From 2008 to 2011, Liliana Ayalde was the U.S. Ambassador to Asuncion, Paraguay. She arrived in Paraguay June 2008. She had previously served with USAID.
On July 16, 2012, the Department of State announced her promotion to Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Western Hemisphere (WHA) Bureau, responsible for the Offices of Caribbean Affairs, Central American Affairs and Cuban Affairs.
During her assignment as a Deputy Assistant Administrator, Ambassador Ayalde testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs.
From a 2008 State Department bio:
The U.S. Senate confirmed in June 2008 Liliana Ayalde's nomination to be the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay. Between 2005 and 2008 she served as Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Colombia, overseeing a development assistance portfolio of over $200 million. Ms. Ayalde holds a bachelor's degree from American University and a master's degree in International Public Health from Tulane University.
On August 1, 2013 the U.S. Senate confirmed Liliana Ayalde's nomination to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil. In June 2016, P. Michael McKinley was nominated to succeed Ayalde as U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 8, 2016 and formally replaced Ayalde on January 11, 2017.
