December 12, 2011

Honorable Senator Lugar
Ranking Member on the Foreign Relations Committee
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1401

Honorable Senator Rubio
Ranking Member on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510
Washington, District Of Columbia, 20510

Dear Senator Lugar and Senator Rubio.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Hispanic Institute, I am writing in support of the confirmation of Mari Carmen Aponte  as U.S.
Ambassador to El Salvador.

We believe that it is extremely important to the United State’s international interests that we have a  permanent  ambassador in El Salvador.  Particularly prescient at this moment is El Salvador’s role in the Partnership for Growth, an economic development initiative designed to reduce the primary obstacles to growth in four U.S. low-income but high performance partner countries around the world.  El Salvador is also currently at the forefront of  the  transnational security  and economic  agenda with the United States confronting the challenges of  immigration,  gang violence, and the labor needs of the United States.

As the country with one of  the strongest  growing  economies  and  stable democracies  in the Central America, El Salvador  has  become an increasingly important economic and political partner to the U.S.  In a short period of time, Ms. Aponte has become an outstanding advocate and representative of the core American values of liberty, justice and freedom.

Ms. Aponte is a well-qualified public servant with significant jurisprudence work, federal government service, and work in the private and nonprofit sectors.  We urge you to support the confirmation of Mari Carmen Aponte as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador.

Sincerely,

Gus K. West
President, Board Chair
The Hispanic Institute

CC: Senator Scott Brown
Senator John McClain
Senator Lindsy Graham
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Senator John Cornyn
Senator Olympia J. Snowe