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American politician Bill Richardson, former New Mexico governor and UN ambassador under Bill Clinton's administration, has passed away at the age of 75. On September 2, the former governor's nonprofit foundation the Richardson Center for Global Engagement confirmed his demise stating he passed away in his sleep at his Chatham, Massachusetts' summer house.
In a statement, the vice president of the nonprofit, Mickey Bergman, said:
“He lived his entire life in the service of others – including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad.”
Prior to his election as governor in 2002, and following a failed campaign as the first Latino contender for the U.S. presidency, Richardson held a congressional seat for a span of 14 years, representing the northern region of New Mexico. During the tenure of President Bill Clinton, he assumed the roles of United Nations ambassador and energy secretary.
After serving his time in the government, Bill Richardson established his name as an unofficial diplomat with his volunteer work in promising the release of US citizens stranded overseas.
Brief background on Bill Richardson personal and professional life
Born on November 15, 1947, Bill Richardson was a native of Pasadena, California. He was born to a Spanish mother and Nicaraguan-born father, Richardson was brought up in Mexico City before being admitted into a Massachusetts boarding school.
He graduated from Tufts University in 1970 and got a master's degree a year later. Soon after that he began a journey in politics and held offices at state and national levels.
He eventually became an expert in diplomatic negotiation throughout the course of a five-decade career, visiting North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Cuba, Burma, Congo, and Colombia to act as an unofficial mediator for the release of US hostages and prisoners.
The Richardson Center noted:
“Families, organizations and world leaders regularly seek out Richardson for help because of his unique experience. [He] had a proven track record of negotiating with and earning the trust of international leaders. Richardson has succeeded in areas of the world where others refuse to negotiate”.
Richardson traveled to North Korea on many occasions to negotiate the release of Americans detained there. He successfully secured the release of Evan Hunziker, an American citizen detained after entering into North Korean territory, in 1996. The same year, he negotiated with Cuban President Fidel Castro and helped in the release of three political prisoners.
Richardson was named for a Nobel Peace Prize last week for his work around the world to free political prisoners. This is one of many Nobel Prize bids Richardson has received.
When he was named, the Democratic senators who did so pointed out that Richardson had recently helped get Brittney Griner, a professional basketball player, and Marine veteran Trevor Reed back to the U.S. They were both freed in prisoner deals with Russia.
In the official statement, Bergman stated that during the time of Bill Richardson's passing, his wife Barbara Richardson was also at his side. Moreover, the deceased politician is survived by his daughter Heather.
