Dean Marc Ostfield was quoted in a major NPR investigation into the Trump administration’s use of Treasury Department sanctions as a political tool. The piece, reported by NPR’s Chiara Eisner and Robert Benincasa, examines how the administration has imposed or lifted sanctions on foreign officials in ways that depart from historical precedent — rewarding political allies and punishing critics.
Dean Ostfield, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay from 2022 to 2025, was cited in connection with the lifting of sanctions on former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes. The Treasury Department had originally sanctioned Cartes in 2023, accusing him of collecting bribes through representatives at events held by the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, and of using personal funds to buy legislators’ votes. Dean Ostfield told NPR that Cartes had not demonstrated a clear change in behavior when he was removed from the sanctions list, and questioned how lifting those sanctions could be reconciled with the administration’s stated concern about Hezbollah ties.
The story speaks directly to the values of democratic accountability and the rule of law that lie at the heart of the Colin Powell School’s mission.
Read or listen to the full story here.
