David Heywood Swartz, an American diplomat who served as U.S.
ambassador to Belarus, died on February 19, 2026. Born in Chicago on March 3, 1942, he served as chargé d’affaires before his appointment as ambassador in 1992, a new position.
He held the post until 1994 and resigned in protest against the Clinton administration’s policy toward the Minsk regime. Swartz also served as dean of the School of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute from 1989 to 1991, staff director at the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center from 1988 to 1989, and consul general in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
David Heywood Swartz (March 3, 1942 – February 11, 2026) was an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus, after having served as chargé d’affaires.