Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed Kenneth Merten, the former U.S. ambassador to Haiti during the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake, as chargé d’affaires in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.
“I am proud to announce that Ambassador Kenneth Merten will return,” Blinken wrote on Twitter. “The United States is a steadfast partner to Haiti, and we remain committed to supporting the Haitian people.
” A State Department official told McClatchy that Merten was chosen for the role due to his extensive experience in Haiti.
“We are grateful that Ken Merten, an experienced department hand, will be going to serve in Port-au-Prince as our chargé d’affaires,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Tuesday.
“We’re grateful that Ken Merten has accepted the ask that he go serve in this important role.”
Merten was ambassador to Haiti from 2009 to July 2012. From January 2017 until November 2017 he served as acting principal deputy assistant secretary for Haiti, Canada, Caribbean Affairs and the Office of Policy, Planning and Coordination.
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