Bernard W. Aronson
Bernard William Aronson | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1946 Rye, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Diplomat, government official |
| Known for | United States Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1989–1993), U.S. Special Envoy to the Colombia Peace Process |
Bernard William Aronson (born May 16, 1946) served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from 1989 until 1993.
Overview
Bernard W. Aronson held prominent positions under four U.S. Presidents—Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. He was honored twice with the State Department's highest civilian accolade, the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his efforts to resolve conflicts in Central America and Colombia. In April 1993, Secretary of State Warren Christopher commended him for his bipartisan contributions toward peace in Nicaragua and the conclusion of the civil war in El Salvador. Later, in November 2016, while serving as U.S. Special Envoy to the Colombia Peace Process, Secretary John Kerry acknowledged his instrumental role in ending the five-decade-long conflict between Colombia’s government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). During a February 2016 White House ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of Plan Colombia, President Barack Obama praised Aronson as a central figure in advancing the peace process.
Early life and education
Born in May 1946 to Annette and Arnold Aronson, a founding figure of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights who was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton, Bernard Aronson was raised in Rye, New York. He graduated with Honors, earning a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago in 1967.
Career in labor movement
Following his graduation, Aronson dedicated five years to community organizing as a Vista Volunteer in Cob Hill, Kentucky, within the Appalachian region. He subsequently joined the Council of the Southern Mountains based in Berea, Kentucky, where his work addressed issues such as black lung disease, nutritional programs for impoverished children, and opposition to strip mining practices. Aronson also gained experience as a staff writer for the Raleigh Register newspaper in Beckley, West Virginia, and contributed articles to The Washington Post. He became involved with Miners for Democracy (MFD), a reform faction within the United Mine Workers of America (UMW), playing a part in unseating autocratic leader Tony Boyle in 1972. Relocating to Washington, D.C., he served as Assistant to reformist President Arnold Miller and led a prolonged organizing campaign lasting thirteen months in Harlan County, Kentucky. Aronson is featured twice in the Academy Award-winning documentary Harlan County, U.S.A., which documents this labor strike. Additionally, he completed six years of service in the United States Army Reserve, receiving an honorable discharge in 1976.
Career in government
Between 1977 and 1981, Aronson worked at the White House holding multiple roles: Special Assistant and Speechwriter to Vice President Walter Mondale, Executive Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter, and Deputy Assistant to the President within the Office of the Chief of Staff. In 1981, he assumed the position of policy director at the Democratic National Committee. From 1984 through 1988, he served as president of the Policy Project.
A committed member of the Democratic Party, Aronson was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs by Republican President George H. W. Bush in February 1989, fostering bipartisan engagement on Central American issues. Working alongside Secretary of State James Baker, he helped broker the Bi-Partisan Accord on Central America at the White House on March 24, 1989, which secured Congressional backing for President Oscar Arias’ Central American Peace Plan. Aronson framed collaboration in Central America as a measure of Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's "new thinking," undertaking his initial official visit to Moscow to seek Soviet endorsement for democratic elections and peace initiatives concerning Nicaragua and El Salvador.
Throughout his term, Aronson oversaw numerous crises across the Western Hemisphere. By its conclusion, Central America had achieved peace; Nicaragua conducted democratic elections that ended Sandinista governance; Panamanian dictator General Manuel Noriega was detained by U.S. forces; Peru overcame Sendero Luminoso with U.S. assistance; Argentina and Brazil placed their nuclear programs under supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency and ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty; Haiti held its inaugural peaceful presidential election; Chile transitioned from Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship toward democracy; and the Organization of American States adopted the Santiago Declaration affirming democratic principles. Except for Cuba, all southern hemisphere countries had governments elected through democratic processes.
In July 1993, Secretary of State Warren Christopher awarded Aronson the Distinguished Service Award recognizing his exceptional accomplishments advancing bipartisan policy regarding Nicaragua and contributing to ending El Salvador’s civil war.
In February 2015, President Barack Obama designated Aronson as U.S. Special Envoy to the Colombian Peace Process. He traveled to Havana twenty-five times for negotiations that culminated in a landmark agreement between Colombia’s government and FARC insurgents. At a White House event commemorating Plan Colombia’s fifteenth anniversary in 2016, President Obama acknowledged Aronson's crucial involvement in facilitating peace efforts. Later that year, Secretary of State John Kerry presented him with another Distinguished Service Award honoring his outstanding negotiation abilities that helped conclude Latin America's longest-running conflict.
Career in business and non-profit
Following his tenure as Assistant Secretary of State in 1993, Aronson transitioned to Goldman Sachs, where he took on the role of International Advisor for Latin America. Three years later, in 1996, he became a co-founder of ACON Investments, a private equity firm specializing in mid-market opportunities across Latin America and the United States.
Aronson played a pivotal role as an inaugural board member of the Center for Global Development and contributed his expertise to the boards of organizations such as the Amazon Conservation Team, the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House. His affiliations include membership in the Council on Foreign Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue, and the American Academy of Diplomacy. Additionally, Aronson served on the boards of various public and private enterprises, including Global Hyatt, Liz Claiborne, Royal Caribbean International, Lindblad Expeditions, Mariner Energy, and Kate Spade.