Nomination of Otto J. Reich To Be United States Ambassador to Venezuela

The President today announced his intention to nominate Otto J. Reich, of Virginia, as Ambassador to the Republic of Venezuela. He would succeed George W. Landau.

Since 1983 Mr. Reich has been Coordinator of Public Diplomacy for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Office of the Secretary of State. From 1981 to 1983, he was the Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development in charge of Latin America and the Caribbean. As such, he was the principal officer in the U.S. Government charged with the direction of U.S. economic support and development assistance for this region of the world. From 1976 to 1981, Mr. Reich was director of Washington operations for the Council of the Americas, a private nonprofit association of U.S. companies with interests in Latin America. From 1975 to 1976, he was community development coordinator for the city of Miami. From 1973 to 1975, he was international representative for the State of Florida's Department of Commerce. From 1972 to 1973, he was vice president of Cormorant Enterprises, a Miami-based import-export company. While attending graduate school (1970-1971), Mr. Reich worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a staff assistant to Congressman W.R. Hull, Jr.

Mr. Reich holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina in international studies (1966) and a master's from Georgetown University in Latin American studies (1973). At Georgetown, he studied under a fellowship from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1971-1972). Mr. Reich served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969; he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and honorably discharged as a first lieutenant. Mr. Reich was born October 16, 1945, in Havana, Cuba. He is married to the former Connie Dillinger, of Florida, and they have two children.