Retired Ambassador Patrick Duddy announced as a keynote speaker for Norwich University’s 2025 Peace and War Summit.

Reflecting on an illustrious career within U.S. Foreign Service, this distinguished professional retired as one of the State Department’s leading experts on Latin American matters, possessing extensive knowledge in areas of trade, energy, public affairs, and crisis management. The breadth of his U.S. Foreign Service tenure, spanning three decades, includes servicing under the administrations of both Presidents Bush and Obama as the U.S. Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from 2007-2010.

Ambassador Duddy, a highly respected speaker with significant depth of understanding of a myriad of regional topics, has also been recognized for his contributions on behalf of the United States. He is the recipient of the Secretary of State’s Career Achievement Award and a Presidential Meritorious Service Award. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the American Academy of Diplomacy. 

While the U.S. has long maintained a dominant position in Latin America since the Monroe Doctrine was declared in 1823, China and Russia seek to enhance their political and economic influence throughout the region. With such realities in mind, the Peace and War Summit will thoroughly address the significant challenges that Latin American nations have faced through scholarly presentations and discussions.

Ambassador Duddy exhibits unparalleled expertise and extensive experience in Latin American diplomacy. Prior to his assignment as the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) for the Western Hemisphere. In that capacity he was directly responsible for the Office of Economic Policy and Summit Coordination, which included the hemispheric energy portfolio, as well for the Offices of Brazil / Southern Cone Affairs and of Caribbean Affairs. Ambassador Duddy directed the largest U.S. consulate general in the western hemisphere as the U.S. Consul General in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

His diplomatic responsibilities included positions throughout the western hemisphere and Washington including senior positions at the U.S. embassies in Bolivia and Panama. Early in his career he also served in U.S. embassies in Paraguay, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Chile. 

Currently, Ambassador Duddy is a Senior Advisor for Global Affairs at Duke University. He has shared his extensive experience while teaching at both Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and Sanford School of Public Policy. For several years he served as the academic director of Duke’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He has spoken to a wide range of private sector groups, world affairs councils, NGOs and universities both in the United States and in Latin America.