Earl Richard Downes (1947–2024) was a military officer, private-sector activist, and civilian educator. He held a Bachelor of Science in Latin American Studies from the Air Force Academy, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies, and a PhD in Latin American History. Downes dedicated his career to improving US-Latin American relations. He served as an Associate Professor of History and Director of Area Studies at the Air Force Academy and later as an Adjunct Professor of International Relations at Florida International University. From 2006 to 2009, he was the Associate Dean of Academics at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at National Defense University. Earlier in his career, he was the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Universal Wireless.