President Donald Trump sent to the Senate on Tuesday the nomination of Pedro Cabrera, a Cuban-American businessman and former vice mayor of Doral, Florida, to head the United States embassy in Guatemala.
The official document from the White House identifies him as a resident of Florida and proposes him as the "Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Guatemala," although his appointment will not take effect until it is ratified by the Senate.
Cabrera is Cuban-American: he was born in Cuba—some sources place him in Pinar del Río—and emigrated to the United States with his family in 1963, settling in Doral in 1988, even before the area was formally incorporated as a city.
His political career in that city is extensive: he was one of the founding vice mayors of Doral from July 2003 to 2008, and a member of the City Council in two separate terms totaling more than 19 years of service. In the business field, he has over 35 years of experience as an employee benefits consultant, insurance advisor, and human resources counselor.
This is Trump’s second attempt at that nomination in less than a year. In March, the administration proposed Cuban-American lawyer Juan J. Rodríguez, who appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April and described Guatemala as a "vital partner" for Washington, but he withdrew his nomination at the end of June without either him or the administration providing a public explanation.
The embassy has been without a head since January 2026, when Ambassador Tobin John Bradley left the position. Since then, the mission has operated with interim chargé d'affaires: first John M. Barrett and currently Jorgan Andrews.
Cabrera's nomination reflects a clear trend of the Trump administration: placing Cuban Americans in key diplomatic positions. Benjamín León Jr. was sworn in as ambassador to Spain in February of this year, and Kevin Marino Cabrera was confirmed as ambassador to Panama in April 2025. They join Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Mauricio Claver-Carone as Special Envoy for Latin America, Peter Lamelas in Argentina, and Bernie Navarro in Peru.
Doral, the city where Cabrera built his career, is home to one of the most densely populated Latin American communities in South Florida: nearly 83% of its approximately 79,000 residents are Hispanic, with Venezuelans as the majority group and Cubans as a historically influential community.
The agenda awaiting the nominee in Guatemala is demanding: irregular migration —the country is a transit hub for Cubans and other migrants crossing Central America—, deportations, drug trafficking, and security cooperation, all in light of the Guatemalan elections in 2027.
Before assuming the position, Cabrera must pass through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, overcome a possible public hearing, and secure a favorable vote from the full Senate. Only then will he be able to present his credentials to Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, a process that, according to Canal Antigua, could take several weeks or even months.
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