American Diplomat Podcast

Arizona State University's American Diplomat – The Stories Behind The News podcast, co-hosted by Ambassador (ret.) Pete Romero and Ms. Laura Bennett have casual conversations with American diplomats about newsworthy events from around the world.

Our mission is to provide informative entertainment to the listening public from our nations’ diplomatic practitioners. The conversations with this elite cadre of career diplomats seek to give the listener a better understanding of the very human dimensions of those serving on the front lines of war, crises, and conflict around the world.

Ambassador (retired) Pete Romero and Ms. Laura Bennett (a writer and videographer) host weekly, 20-40 minute podcasts featuring conversations with active duty and retired US diplomats. These intimate, lively and informative conversations center on the personal recollections and reflections…their stories…as they succeed, fail and enter the fray again to advance our national interests overseas. They discuss what they really think about dealing with foreign leaders and reveal their thoughts about dealing with tribal leaders, militias and thugs.

Latest Podcast Episodes

American Diplomat Podcast - [node:title]

October 12, 2023

Señor Menendez Goes to Washington

How did Robert Menendez fall so hard? A suspected foreign agent? Hiding gold bullion?

October 5, 2023

Putin, North Korea, and Why Democracies Last 250 Years

Major General Spider Marks, formerly head of military intelligence for Korea, opines on Putin's recent meeting with Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

September 28, 2023

A "More Perfect" Union

No union is perfect, but it helps to try. Authoritarians worldwide exploit their citizens' need for public safety to gain and hold power.

September 21, 2023

Lawfare and the International Criminal Court

The basis of the International Criminal Court is a treaty, written in part by the United States and signed by 123 countries worldwide.

September 14, 2023

Putin: Indicted War Criminal

BRICS, the economic alliance of nonwestern powers, just met in Johannesburg, with Putin conspicuously disinvited. Why?

September 7, 2023

A Dictator, An Election, and US Interests

Cambodia just "elected" another term for the ruling party, allowing the 38-year dictator Hun Sen to maintain dynastic rule for many years to come.

August 31, 2023

China, National Security and Our Economy

Following the unprecedented executive order by the Biden administration limiting US investment in Chinese tech companies, Cathy Novelli, veteran US di

August 24, 2023

From Deportee to AID

Jesse Gutierrez, USAID officer at Mission Somalia, says it best himself: "I had slept on the floor, been homeless, used subpar health facilities, and

All podcasts

The Podcast Team

Ambassador

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.

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.

The Intern

The best interns in Washington DC work for the American Diplomat podcast. Angela Martins is an undergraduate in Communications. She is the webmaster of the American Diplomat web page. She also maintains and takes suggestions and comments regarding the podcasts.

Learn more

Read Pete’s paper “Living Up to the American Idea,” published in the Foreign Service Journal’s September 2020 issue.
Pete testifies before Congress on the need for diversity in the Foreign Service. To read Pete’s full testimony, click here.
U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Peter Romero speaks during Saturday’s “Foreign Service Day” at George Mason University.
Roles of Chief Diplomats
U.S. Diplomats Talk Brazilian Politics at Ford School
Peter Romero’s article “The Making Of Plan Colombia” as featured in the Jan/Feb 2018 Issue of “The Foreign Service Journal”
“The Hill: Here’s our plan to bring diversity and fairness to the Foreign Service” Co-authored by Peter Romero.
A good brief summary of the life of a US Foreign Service family.

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