Washington foreign-policy hands in and out of the administration say that Maria Otero is likely to be nominated to be under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, or "G". The Bolivian-born Otero is president and CEO of Accion International and a member of the board of the Clinton Global Initiative, and is an expert on sustainable microfinance with an interest in global women's issues, a key interest of Secretary Clinton.
Former State Department counselor Wendy Sherman is being discussed for high level posts. Among them, the Asia expert, Albright Group principal, and close Hillary Clinton advisor is being discussed as a candidate for under secretary of state for economic affairs, now that Lael Brainard has gone to the Treasury Department, and as a possible nominee to be U.S. ambassador to China. (Update: and USAID administrator.)
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual has been reported likely to be nominated to be Obama's ambassador to Mexico. While some reports have suggested that Pascual, now vice president and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution, authored a paper describing Mexico as a failed state, think tank hands noted that Pascual was not the author of a report produced last year by Brookings on weak and failed states. (The study that seems to be in question, Index of State Weakness in the Developing World, rates Mexico in the top quintile of developing countries, the 120th weakest out of 141, e.g. among the strongest, and was codirected by Susan Rice, now U.S. ambassador to the U.N.). Pascual alluded to the issue in a conversation with Brookings staff yesterday. Pascual was the first coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization at the State Department. (A call to his office was directed to the communications office, which declined to comment on his status.)
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