FIRST U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CUBA IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS NOMINATED

Miami—The White House Tuesday nominated Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who has been the chief of the U.S. Embassy in Havana since it reopened in July 2015, as the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than 50 years. “Jeff’s leadership has been vital throughout the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, and the appointment of an ambassador is a common sense step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between our two countries,” said President Barack Obama. “There is no public servant better suited to improve our ability to engage the Cuban people and advance U.S. interests in Cuba than Jeff.” The two countries reopened respective embassies on July 20, 2015.