John O'Leary -- A Great American R.I.P.

John O’Leary, who died Saturday at age 58, was a fine man, an exemplary diplomat and a great American.

I met him in Santiago five years ago when he was serving as the Clinton Administration’s ambassador to Chile (a post he had to relinquish in 2001 as the Bush administration took power). Given the U.S. history in that country (as well as my own sour experiences with that same diplomatic mission during the 1973 coup), it was about as unlikely as possible that I would take a shining to the American ambassador. Yet, as soon as I met him – and his extraordinary wife Patricia Cepeda—I knew I was in the presence of a very different sort of U.S. diplomat.

Not only was John O’Leary a warm and personable man, but he did everything he could to rectify the American record, the American presence in Chile. He opened his Embassy to all, regardless of their political stripe. And after General Pinochet’s arrest in 1998, Ambassador O’Leary took aggressive measures to expose archives of U.S. documents on Chile to public scrutiny. As American Ambassador he also helped support the opening of  new investigations into the deaths of three Americans, including  Charlie Horman, the subject of the classic Costa-Gavras film, Missing. For international human rights activists working to clarify the record of the Pinochet era, Ambassador O’Leary was a reliable and stalwart ally.

He was a recipient of the Bernardo O'Higgins medal, the highest honor Chile bestows on a foreign citizen.

His Colombian- born wife Patricia, god-daughter of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, used the prestige of the Embassy to stimulate a vigorous cultural exchange and played an important role in celebrating and elevating the work of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

Ambassador O’Leary, a successful trial lawyer, former Mayor of Portland, Maine and a former Democratic congressional candidate, took his job dead seriously. He understood his mandate as nurturing respectful relationships between the powerful United States and smaller Latin American countries like Chile.

He was, in short, the best face that America could put forward to the world. Indeed, his approach, his compassion, and his sensibilities are all quite the opposite of the American diplomacy we see today.

In his presence, I was proud to be an American. I am proud to have known John O’ Leary. He will be sorely missed by his wife Patricia, his daughters Alejandra and Gabriela, by his hundreds of friends in Chile and around the world.

Comments

[alan sarquile]

One of the things I remember fondly was a conversation I had with Ed Korry, who said that although there were things he disagreed with John sometimes about, John was a fine man.
I enjoyed hanging out with Korry myself, a gentle man when you got to know him outside the work environment, even though on some things sometimes we disagreed.

[alan sarquile]

One of the things I remember fondly was a conversation I had with Ed Korry, who said that although there were things he disagreed with John sometimes about, John was a fine man.
I enjoyed hanging out with Korry myself, a gentle man when you got to know him outside the work environment, even though on some things sometimes we disagreed.

[Woody]

It's always sad to see someone so accomplished pass away early. Even though I have not had any special interest in Chile, I wonder why I had not heard of John O'Leary before--especially since he was so respected by Marc. Who else out there is like him that we'll only discover after his death? I'm sorry you lost a friend, Marc, and I'm grateful to learn today what he did for our countries.

[richard lo cicero]

You mean Clinton did something right when he appointed O'Leary Amb to Chile? Must have read that wrong since everypne knew in 2000 that there was no difference between the parties. Guess you must have mispoke.

[GMRoper]

I wonder why, when someone mourns the loss of a friend someone else has to make something political out of it? Just wondering.

Sorry for your loss Marc, I echo Woody's sentiments.

[Tom Grey - Liberty Dad]

Almost great Obit, Marc; you really have high standards, give praise sparingly, and I believe you both felt he was good and thought he was following the right policy.

Too bad you added the gratuitous "quite the opposite of ... today" politics -- since I, personally and sincerely, believe Bush's policy is far, far better, in general. [really GM, I was planning this comment BEFORE I read yours!]

I am carefully watching to see if the Left's near obsession with Pinochet of 30 years ago is at all matched by its treatment of Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Oops, politics.

Missing. That's right, fantastic film. [With: Why Marxism doesnt' work ... its about sharing when somebody has two and another has none ... houses, cars, until chickens. Because the poor guy has two chickens...]

Perhaps you'll be happy to know you've changed my mind about Pinochet -- I now support his prosecution. Even though I know it makes it less likely, a little, that Mugabe, or others, will go easily/ peacefully. World wide democracy is strong enough to start enforcing some justice, even on "our bastards."

[richard lo cicero]

Who are these people on the left defending Mugabe? Maybe in 1979 when he came to power, but then, everyone back there thought he was an effective leader. Subsequent events changed minds.

[Marc Cooper]

Woody.. Richard is sort of right. There are few lefties supporting Mugabe.... BUY... also too few calling for his head. The left has no monopoly on this hypocrisy... note the right's reticence to go after, say, Musharaf. Or the Saudis for that matter. A common human foible. Love you, Woodster

[Michael Turner]

Tom Grey writes: "I am carefully watching to see if the Left's near obsession with Pinochet of 30 years ago is at all matched by its treatment of Mugabe in Zimbabwe."

The focus on Pinochet is topical, because of how close he's come to being prosecuted effectively, setting a very significant precedent. I don't think leftists sat around for 30 years, focused narrowly on Pinochet.

If Mugabe were in such a situation today, you might see a lot more attention. But he's not -- he's still in power, after the kind of election that GOP administrations have deemed reasonably free and fair when they took place in countries like El Salvador, putting terrorist groups like ARENA in control.

As it is, *I'll* be watching closely to see if Condi's talk of Zimbabwe as an "outpost of tyranny" translates into any effective action. After all, this administration has talked a lot about Darfur (only following the now-departed Colin Powell's lead) but shrinks from any action that might further legitimize a Hague jurisdiction over the crimes of the Sudanese government. Of course they shrink. If you start criminalizing certain government actions, it's only a matter of time before certain Americans, walking around free, come under scrutiny. Can't have that, now can we?

Military action? Don't hold your breath. And what does that leave? Oh, I know: we'll add a few staffers to GOP-dominated "Civil Society" NGOs in Zimbabwe. And get back to business as usual.

[ricardo]

marc, i also knew the ambassador, his death shocked and saddened me. yes, we have too few "good" diplomats these days. o'leary was one of the best. he did very much for chile-us relations. even after leaving the embassy he stayed involved with chile, most recently helping goldman sachs bank turn trillium's vast lands in tierra del fuego into a park. let's hope their is a god and a heavently afterlife for mr. o'leary! cheers

[Bob P.]

Here's a Neruda poem. This guy used to fill soccer stadiums:

Hunger in the South

I see the sobbing the coal at Lota
and the wrinkled shadow of the beaten-down Chilean
pick away at the bitter vein in the core, die,
live, be born in the petrified cinder
bent over, fallen as if the world
could arrive like that or leave like that
among black dust, among flowers,
and all that would come out of it would be
the cough in winter, the step
of a horse in the black water, where
a eucalypyus leaf has fallen like a dead knife.

[Vince Ciampi]

Thank you so much for your words about John O'Leary. John was my friend, we grew up together. As great as his accomplishments as a unique political diplomat and a lawyer with the highest standards John's greatest accomblishments were being a son, a brother, a husband, a dad and a friend who put all of us before himself. His energy, integrity, dedication, and enthusiasm for family life were contagious to all of us around him...We miss him so much! He has set a standard in all aspects of his life for all of us to work towards.

[לוח]

RIP John... thanks for everything

heyy

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