Bangor forum hosts Venezuelan envoy

BANGOR – Ambassador Patrick Duddy, originally from Bangor, has spent years working with Latin American countries in a variety of capacities.

He served as deputy assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere in Washington, D.C., was the U.S. Consul General in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and was the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia.

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of minister counselor, Duddy also has served at U.S. embassies in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Panama.

Over the years, he has seen those countries and others in Latin America change from dictator states to more democratic governments. On Wednesday morning, Duddy shared some of his insights as the current U.S. ambassador to Venezuela into the country and its leader, Hugo Chavez.

The majority of Duddy’s presentation, which was part of the ongoing Bangor Foreign Policy Forum at the Bangor Public Library, focused on oil, the economy and the social atmosphere of Venezuela and the country’s relationship with the United States.

He commented that the presentation was to be informal because he hadn’t had the opportunity to vet official comments through the proper channels.

There is a strong trade relationship between the two countries, but in recent years the political association has been strained.

Although Duddy and audience members primarily stuck strictly to business, the discussion wasn’t all about policy.

Duddy noted that gas is 11 cents per gallon in Venezuela, and that Chevrolet is the No. 1 selling car.

He also said he has been amazed at the number of people in Venezuela who know where Maine is and who have been here.

“It’s a phenomenon I haven’t bumped into elsewhere,” Duddy said. “Maine is pretty exotic to someone in South Brazil.”