A bio-fuels ambassador: Obama names new ambassador to Honduras http://quotha.net/node/1725

On April 14, President Obama announced the nomination of Lisa Kubiske as the new ambassador to Honduras. It seems surprising that a diplomat with no previous ambassador level positions would be named to Honduras, currently an extremely sensitive nation in US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.But a closer look reveals the interests behind the nomination: biofuels. Also, her recent experience in Santo Domingo and Brazil may also be helpful in promoting the reintegration of Honduras to the OAS.Throughout her career Ms. Kubiske has focused on science, agriculture and business, and currently she is the Deputy Chief of Affairs in the US Embassy in Brazil.

She was awarded a State Department Superior Honor Award for her efforts on behalf of United States-Brazil biofuels cooperation. She was also awarded a Superior Honor Award for her participation in a public outreach campaign in favor of the US-Peruvian free trade agreement.SUBSIDIZING CORPORATIONS, PROMOTING RIGHTS ABUSES.Given her history, Kubiske has apparently already come into close contact with rights violations that benefit transnational corporations, an issue she will undoubtedly come across in Honduras.The Brazilian biofuel industry is among the largest in the world, and has been highly criticized for extreme rights violations including labor rights violations so severe they amount to modern day slavery.