These would be the consulates that the United States would close by order of the Trump administration.
The closure of consulates would align with the plans of billionaire Elon Musk, the right-hand man of President Trump, to drastically cut Administration spending.
These would be the consulates that the United States would close by order of the Trump administration.
These would be the consulates that the United States would close by order of the Trump administration.
The closure of consulates would align with the plans of billionaire Elon Musk, the right-hand man of President Trump, to drastically cut Administration spending.
The State Department has developed a plan to close a dozen U.S. consulates abroad this summer, mainly in Europe, and is considering shutting down many more missions, The New York Times reported this Thursday.
According to this media outlet, citing U.S. officials, some of the affected consular offices would be in Florence (Italy), Strasbourg (France), Hamburg (Germany), and Ponta Delgada (Portugal), as well as one in Brazil.
The plan would also include the dismissal of local citizens who work for the hundreds of U.S. embassies and consulates and who are responsible for supporting the tasks of the diplomatic staff.
"The State Department continues to assess our global posture to ensure that we are better positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people," a department spokesperson told EFE when asked about the issue.
The closure of consulates would align with the plans of billionaire Elon Musk, the right-hand man of President Donald Trump, to drastically cut Administration spending by closing offices and programs and mass layoffs of federal employees.
These measures occur when China has already surpassed the United States in the number of diplomatic missions in the world, with 274 compared to 271, The New York Times reported, citing a study from the Lowy Institute.
Embassies are the official diplomatic representations and are responsible for maintaining political relations with the host country, while consular offices handle administrative matters, such as issuing visas for foreigners, and support U.S. citizens abroad.
On his first day in office, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned employees that there would be "changes" within the department, but promised that these would not be "destructive."
