Ambassador

Ambassador James C. Cason

Ambassador Cason

James Cason, a career Foreign Service Officer with 33 years’ experience in Latin America, was nominated by President Bush to be U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay in July 2005. He was confirmed by the Senate on November 4, 2005, and sworn in by Secretary Rice on December 1, 2005.

Prior to his posting in Asuncion, Ambassador Cason was Chief of Mission at the United States Interests Section (USINT) Havana, Cuba, from September 10, 2002 until September 10, 2005. Prior to his assignment in Havana, he was Director of Policy, Planning and Coordination for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

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

During his 38-year career with the Department of State, Mr. Cason has won a variety of awards, including six meritorious honor awards, a Superior Honor Award, the Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, and the Presidential Rank Award.  He has also received the Joint Chiefs of Staff Best Essay Award, the National Human Intelligence Award, and the Defense Intelligence Agency's Writing Award. Earlier in his career he graduated with distinction from the National War College. He received the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff's Joint Meritorious Service Medal and the Coast Guard’s Distinguished Public Service Award. He holds the rank of Minister Counselor in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Mr. Cason has a B.A. in international relations with a major in Latin American Studies from Dartmouth College, and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Mr. Cason was a Fulbright Scholar in Uruguay.

James Cason comes from New Jersey. He has two sons, one a naval aviator and the other a businessman in Brazil. His wife, Carmen, is originally from El Salvador.