US Senate confirms Edward Prado will be new US ambassador to Argentina

Edward Prado, a Texan federal judge and US President Donald Trump’s appointee to be the US ambassador to Argentina, was confirmed by the US Senate Thursday night.

The 70-year old was confirmed by a voice vote, and seeing as he is a moderate Republican and sailed through the circuit court judge confirmation process in 2003 with a 97-0 vote in the Senate, strong opposition to his nomination was not expected. Through comments in various interviews and his 2003 confirmation hearing, it’s clear Prado is a strong believer in the US judicial system, rule of law and the Constitution.

“Compared to everything else there is, our system is pretty darn good,” Prado said in a 2011 interview with the University of Texas Political Science Department. “We are way ahead of everyone else. There is a lot of envy out there of our system.”

The US Embassy in Buenos Aires has not had an ambassador since Barack Obama-era appointee Noah Mamet left the job in January 2017, resigning his post following Trump’s election.

Prado, 70, said in his confirmation hearing that he hoped to continue working with Argentina’s prosecutors and judges to improve the country’s judicial system. He also promised to help the country rebuild the capacity of its police force.

Prado grew up speaking Spanish at home in a predominantly Latino neighbourhood in west San Antonio, Texas. Politically, Prado is generally considered centre-right.