American Diplomat Podcast

Real U.S. diplomats share the untold truths behind world events—what went right, what went wrong, and what you’ll never see in the news.

Want to know what it’s really like on the frontlines of international diplomacy?  Each week, Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero and co-host Laura Bennett sit down with active and retired US diplomats to pull back the curtain on the gritty, human side of international affairs.  From dealing with foreign leaders to navigating the chaos of war zones, these diplomats share the stories that drive the headlines.  

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Latest Podcast Episodes

Laura's great old pal Andy Mertha, SAIS professor and China expert, contextualizes recent Chinese protests against Covid policies in the immense time-space continuum of Chinese political and cultural history.  
Our Thanksgiving special featuring pie at the Hague and Turkey in Uzbekistan - Thank you to you, each and all!  Have a wonderful holiday!
A licenced architect in Cuba, our friend Maikel was forced to leave in order to avoid being jailed by the Cuban state.  In a perilous, many-legged journey, here he is, after planes and boats, jungles and rivers, detention centers and now free but unentitled to work until his hearing, which is scheduled for 2025....
Can you imaine discovering that your best friend for years, with whom you shared milestones of your life, was in fact a traitor and a spy?  Some time ago, the news covered the case of Ana Montes, called by CNN "the most damaging spy you've never heard of", but less known is the story of Marta Velazquez, the recruiter...
Since the morality police arrested and murdered 22-year-old Mahsa Amini - allegedly for wearing her hijab incorrectly - protests have gained intensity. We've seen protests in Iran before. How and why is it different this time? Goli Ameri and Frank Ricciardone offer personal observations and policy perspectives.
April 7, 1994, Rwanda. Not a good day to be mistaken for the acting Prime Minister. Linda Thomas-Greenfield (now US Ambassador to the UN) shares the tale of her escape from the anti-government militia, while millions of others perished in the country’s genocide.
The story of our very own Pete turns out to be interesting to our intern Lauren!  For Hispanic Heritage Month, Lauren (and Laura) interview Pete about the challenges he faced as a Latino when he joined the Foreign Service, and how he overcame them to become the highest-ranking Latino officer of his time. Hint:...
Juan Carlos Pinzón, the youngest-ever Colombian Minister of Defence, and more recently the Colombian ambassador to the United States, weighs in on hemispheric events, from the valuable perspective of an expert diplomat whose country is not...the United States.  How do worldwide autocracies impact...

The Podcast Team

Ambassador and Co-Host

Amb. Pete Romero had a twenty-five year career as a diplomat in the US Foreign Service. In his last three postings, he was head of our embassy in El Salvador, US Ambassador in Quito, Ecuador and Assistant Secretary of the Western Hemisphere Bureau at the US Department of State.

Producer and Co-Host

Laura Bennett has written, directed, produced and edited short films that have won 11 awards and screened at 35 festivals throughout the United States. Laura speaks Spanish, French and English and has traveled in five continents, often solo and working as a volunteer.

Sound Engineer

Lorenzo Wilkins heads SD33/Art Direction and Design, focusing on identity, publication and marketing design.  His client list includes the former UPN television, Fox television, PBS, Spike Lee's 40 Acres & a Mule, the NAACP, the National Society of Black Engineers, Jane Firor & Associates, City First Bank of DC, the Education Trust and several political campaigns.

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