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Chargé d’affaires Henry Wooster, after his appointment as United States ambassador to Kenya by President Donald Trump, will soon leave Haiti, Le Nouvelliste has learned.
Chargé d’affaires Henry Wooster, after his appointment as United States Ambassador to Kenya by President Donald Trump, will leave Haiti soon, Le Nouvelliste has learned.
“Henry Wooster, originally from Virginia, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Kenya,” the White House stated in a communiqué with the list of new ambassadors submitted for Senate ratification.Ambassador Wooster, who took charge on June 12, 2025, was appointed to lead a whole-of-government approach to U.S. policy toward Haiti. He will work with our partners around the world, who provide essential support to Haitian security forces, the U.S. State Department said. Before taking this post as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, he was Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from September 2020 to July 2023. He is a highly qualified career member of the Foreign Service.Before his appointment as ambassador, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Maghreb and Egypt. He was also Deputy Chief of Mission in Paris, Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Amman, Political Counselor at the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, Foreign Policy Advisor to the general leading the United States Special Operations Command, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iran, Director of the Office of Iranian Affairs, Deputy Director of the Provincial Affairs Office at the Baghdad Embassy, Special Assistant to Under Secretary Jack Lew, Deputy Director of the Office of Iranian Affairs, Head of the Iran Desk, Political Officer at the Moscow Embassy, Executive Officer of the United States Mission to NATO, Head of the Russia Desk, Consul at the Embassy in Port-au-Prince.and political officer at the embassy in Tbilisi.
According to observers, Mr. Wooster had the profile to advance the objectives of U.S. diplomacy in Haiti in a particularly difficult context. They also note that since Dennis Hankins, the Trump administration did not appoint an ambassador to Haiti in a context of embassy closures in certain countries. The United States has reduced or temporarily suspended the activities of several embassies and consulates around the world in response to massive budget cuts, increased security risks (notably in the Middle East), and major geopolitical reorganizations aimed at reducing administrative costs and diplomatic presence. Before the recent appointments, the Trump administration had left 37 ambassadorial posts vacant, reported an article in France 24, in June 2026.
