James Cason

James Cason is the retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, most recently serving as Ambassador to Paraguay, a post he held from December, 2005 to August 2008. Prior to assuming that post, he served as the chief of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, from September 10, 2002 to September 10, 2005. He was succeeded by Michael E. Parmly.

As part of the United States' diplomatic embargo against Cuba, It does not maintain official relations with Cuba. The Interests Section is maintained in lieu of the a normal embassy.

Cason also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Kingston, Jamaica. Previously he served as Political Advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) and to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). Cason also served at U.S. missions in Milan, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; San Salvador, El Salvador; Panama City, Panama; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Montevideo, Uruguay; and La Paz, Bolivia.

James Cason graduated from Dartmouth College in the class of 1966 and has an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Cuban dissidents

A group of 75 Cuban dissidents (some connected with the Varela Project) were arrested by the Cuban government and accused of accepting gifts (including cash as well as office machines and office space) from James Cason and the US Interests Section. Their arrests coincided with the onset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq in March 2003. An exhibit was erected on September 8, 2005 in protest of the incarcerations.Fact|date=February 2007 A number of the dissidents were subsequently released, but most of the individuals remain imprisoned.

Guarani music

While posted in Paraguay, Cason learned the Guaraní language, a language that is spoken by 94% of the people of that country and in 2008, recorded an album of songs he sung in that language. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93449741&ft=1&f=1105 A U.S. Ambassador's Parting Gift To Paraguay] ]

ee also

*Cuba-United States relations
*Varela Project

References

External links

* [http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/ US Interest Section in Cuba]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/15149.htm US Department of State: Biography of James C. Cason]
* [http://paraguay.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html United States Embassy in Asunción: Biography of the Ambassador]
* [http://www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu/2003/abril_junio/en1494/felipe-english.html Interview with James Cason and statements from Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque on the arrests of dissidents]
* [http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/582020.html US Ambassador Now a Singing Star in Paraguay]

succession box
title = United States Ambassador to Paraguay
before = John F. Keane
after = Current
years = 1 February 2006–present