John Dew

John Dew was Ambassador to Cuba and Colombia and has extensive experience in Latin America.  After studying English at Oxford, he was posted to Venezuela in 1975 (in the heady days after the first huge oil price rise) and after postings in London and Paris he was Deputy Head of Mission in Dublin from 1992 (involved in the early stages of the peace process) and Madrid from 1996.  From 2000-2003 he was Head of the FCO’s Latin America and Caribbean Department, travelling extensively in the region.  After a secondment to the now defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers, he was Ambassador to Cuba in 2004 and Colombia from 2008 until 2012, where he took a particular interest in human rights and drug trafficking. He retired in 2013. He is an active member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative; his paintings and prints  can be seen on the website johndew.co.uk.  He is married with three grown up children.