Latino Americans have some of the lowest rates of participation in the federal workforce making it incredibly difficult for them to represent the United States within the foreign service. Nevertheless, the number of Latino American diplomats continue to grow thanks to the trailblazing work of many former and current ambassadors: Mari-Luci Jaramillo was the first female U.S. ambassador of latina heritage and the first woman to head an embassy in the Western Hemisphere; Peter Romero was integral in designing Plan Colombia which was crucial in the deescalation of conflict in Colombia; and Hugo Llorens played a key role as ambassador to Honduras in preventing bloodshed during the 2009 Constitutional Crisis and ensuring the country held free and peaceful elections. Read short summaries of Latino American ambassadors below, and read their oral histories for in-depth documentation of their lives and careers.
Ambassador Frank Almaguer joined USAID in 1979. He served as the Ambassador to Honduras from 1999 to 2002. Read his full oral history HERE
Ambassador Crensencio S. Arcos Jr. joined the Foreign Service in 1973. He served as Ambassador to Honduras from 1989 to 1993.
Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte served as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador from August 2010 until December 2011, and then from June 2012 until December 2015.
Ambassador Luis Arregea is the current U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, and has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, from 2010 until 2013. In between these posts, he was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Ambassador Diego Ascencio entered the Foreign Service in 1957. He served as the Ambassador to Colombia from 1977 to 1980 and as the Ambassador to Brazil from 1983 to 1986. Read his oral histories HERE and HERE. He was featured in a “Moment in Diplomatic History” – “Our Man is Inside. The U.S. Ambassador, kidnapped at a Reception”.
Ambassador Liliana Ayalde
Ambassador Liliana Ayalde joined the Foreign Service in 1982. She has served with both the State Department and USAID. She served as US Ambassador to Paraguay from 2008-2011, and US Ambassador to Brazil 2013-2016.
Ambassador Adrian Basora served as U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic from 1992-1995. He was a career diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Marcia Bernbaum joined USAID in 1977. She served as the appointed deputy of the Office of Caribbean Affairs. Read her full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Carmen Cantor is the current U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. Prior to her appointment, she has served in various areas of the Senior Executive Service including positions as Director of Civil Service Human Resource Management, Executive Director of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Executive Director of the Bureau of Counterterrorism. She was featured in “El Nuevo Dia” – Boricua jura como embajadora estadounidense ante la Federacion de Estados de Micronesia”.
Ambassador Raul H. Castro joined the State Department in 1940, but later left to pursue a Law career. He was appointed as US Ambassador to El Salvador from 1964-1968, US Ambassador to Bolivia from 1968-1969, and US Ambassador to Argentina from 1977-1980.
Ambassador Phillip Carter entered the Foreign Service in 1982. He has served as Ambassador to Guinea from 2007 to 2008 and as Ambassador to Cote-D’Ivoire from 2010 to 2013.
Ambassador Paul Cejas was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belgium from 1998-2001. Prior to his appointment, he was the founder of CareFlorida Health Systems, Inc., the country’s largest Hispanic-owned health care company.
Ambassador Arnold Chacon is a career member of the Foreign Service and holds the rank of Career Minister. He served as US Ambassador to Guatelmala from 2011-2014, and as Director General of the Foreign Service from 2014-2017.
James N. Cortada joined the Foreign Service in 1942. He served as the consul general in Barcelona, Spain from 1967-1970. Read his full oral history HERE. He was featured in a “Moment in Diplomatic History” – “We Don’t Gibe a Dam – The Feud over Financing the Aswan High Dam“.
Ambassador Carolyn Curiel joined President Bill Clinton’s administration as Senior Presidential Speechwriter and Special Assistant to the President. She was appointed US Ambassador to Belize from 1998-2001.
Samuel De Palma joined the Foreign Service in 1945. He served as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1969 to 1973. Read his full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Simon Ferro was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Panama from 1999-2001. Prior to his appointment, he was an accomplished attorney.
Ambassador Oliver Pastrano Garza was U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1999 to 2002. Ambassador Garza has great experience working in Latin American countries, and has served in Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay.
Ambassador Tony Garza was appointed by George W. Bush to serve as US Ambassador to Mexico from 2002-2009. Prior to joining the State Department, he was a judge and politician in Texas.
Ambassador Lino Gutierrez entered the Foreign Service in 1977. He served as Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1996 to 1999 and as Ambassador to Argentina from 2003 to 2006. read his full oral history HERE. He has been featured in two “Moments in Diplomatic History” – “Little Boy Lost. The Case of Elian Gonzalez” and “Recant and Released – Smoking Gun Shoots Blanks”.
Ambassador Mari-Luci Jaramillo was a political appointee under President Carter. She served as Ambassador to Honduras from 1977 to 1980. Read her full oral history HERE. She was featured in a “Moment in Diplomatic History” – “Mari-Luci Jaramillo: Shoemaker’s Daughter to Madame Ambassador“.
Ambassador Joseph John Jova joined the Foreign Service in 1947. He served as Ambassador to Mexico from 1973 to 1977. Read his full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Kelly Keiderling is currently serving as U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay since 2016, and was sworn in under President Barack Obama. Previously, she was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Charles Lahiguera joined the Foreign Service in 1963. He served as Chief of Mission in Mbabane, Swaziland from 1983 to 1985. Read his full oral history HERE. He was featured in a “Moment in Diplomatic History” – “The Lion King of Swaziland”.
Ambassador Helen LaLime joined the Foreign Service in 1980. She served as Ambassador to Mozambique from 2003 to 2006 and as Ambassador to Angola from 2014-2017.
Ambassador Luis Lauredo was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States from 1999-2001. Prior to his appointment, he was a lawyer focusing on international affairs.
Ambassador Hugo Llorens joined the Foreign Service in 1981. He served as US Ambassador to Honduras from 2008-2011, and US Ambassador to Afghanistan 2016-2017.
Ambassador Carmen Martinez served as U.S. Ambassador to Zambia from 2005 to 2008. Prior to this, she was Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to Myanmar from 2002 until 2005, and as Myanmar had no ambassador during that time, she was the most senior diplomat and head of the mission.
Ambassador Vilma Martinez was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina from 2009-2013. Prior to her appointment, she was a prominent US lawyer working with the federal government.
Ambassador Gabriel Guerra Mondragon joined the Foreign Service in 1976. He served as US Ambassador to Chile from 1994-1998.
Ambassador Luis Moreno was U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica from 2014 until 2017. Previously, he was posted in Spain, Iraq, Israel and Haiti.
Ambassador Julian Nava joined the State Department in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter appointed him the US Ambassador to Mexico. He served from 1980-1981. Previously, he was a local politician in Los Angeles, California.
Roger Noriega was Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and served in that office from 2003 to 2005 under President George W. Bush. He was responsible for managing U.S. policy and interest in that region.
Ambassador Julieta Noyes served as the Ambassador to Croatia from 2015 until 2017 under President Barack Obama.
Ambassador Francis V. Ortiz Jr. joined the Foreign Service in 1952. He served as Ambassador to Peru from 1981 to 1983 and Ambassador to Argentina from 1983 to 1986.
Frank H. Perez joined the Foreign Service in 1967. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Ankara Turkey from 1983 to 1984 and as Deputy Director of the Office of Combating Terrorism from 1979 to 1983. Read his full oral history HERE.
Jose Perez Del Rio joined the Foreign Service in 1961. He served as the director of the Voice of America show “Buenos Dias America” from 1961 to 1986.Read his full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Alberto M. Piedra joined the Foreign Service in 1982. He served as Ambassador to Guatemala from 1984 to 1987. Read his full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Leon B. Poullada was a career Foreign Service officer who served as Ambassador to Togo from 1961-1964 during the Kennedy Administration.
Ambassador Edward Prado was appointed by President Trump as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, where he currently serves. Prior to his appointment, he was a federal judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan, and then President George W. Bush.
Ambassador Otto Reich was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela by President Ronald Reagan to serve from 1986 to 1989. For his service he received the Republic of Venezuela’s Order of the Liberator, the highest honor conferred by that nation.
Ambassador Julissa Reynoso joined the State Department in 2009 under Hillary Clinton. Previously, she was an attorney in both the private and public sectors. President Barack Obama appointed her as US Ambassador to Uruguay, where she served from 2012-2014.
Ambassador Manuel Rocha joined the State Department in 1981. He served as US Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000-2002.
Ambassador Peter Romero joined the Foreign Service in 1977. He served as Ambassador to Ecuador from 1993 to 1996 and as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs from 2000 to 2001. Read his full oral history HERE. He was featured in a “Moment in Diplomatic History” – “Billion Dollar ‘Plan Colombia’ to End Decades of Civil War”
Ambassador Fernando Rondon joined the Foreign Service in 1961. He served as Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros from 1980 to 1983 and as Ambassador to Ecuador from 1985 to 1988. read his full oral history HERE.
Ambassador Mauricio Solaun served as U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1977 to 1979, where he organized a United States-sponsored mediation effort in an attempt to avert civil war and obtain peaceful democratization.
Alberado L. Valdez joined USAID in 1977. He served as Assistant Administrator for Latin America from 1977 to 1979 and as Chief of Protocol from 1979 to 1981. Read his full oral history HERE.
Arturo Valenzuela was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs under President Barack Obama in 2009, and served in this office until 2011. Prior to this, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council for President Bill Clinton.
Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 2010-2013. Prior to his appointment he worked as an outspoken activist for Hispanic rights. He served as the CEO and President of the National Council for La Raza.