{{Short description|American diplomat (born 1944)}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = James C Cason.jpg | office1 = Mayor of Coral Gables, Florida | term_start1 = January 20, 2011 | term_end1 = April 15, 2017 | predecessor1 = Don Slesnick | successor1 = Raul Valdes-Fauli | ambassador_from2 = United States | country2 = Paraguay | term_start2 = February 1, 2006 | term_end2 = August 2, 2008 | president2 = George W. Bush | predecessor2 = John F. Keane | successor2 = Liliana Ayalde | office3 = 11th Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba | president3 = George W. Bush | term_start3 = September 10, 2002 | term_end3 = September 10, 2005 | predecessor3 = Vicki J. Huddleston | successor3 = Michael E. Parmly | birth_name = James Caldwell Cason | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|11|14}} | birth_place = Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | spouse = Carmen Cason | party = Republican | profession = U.S. Foreign Service officer <br /> Diplomat }} :: ''For the American football player, see Jim Cason'' '''James Caldwell Cason''' (born November 14, 1944) is a retired United States Foreign Service officer, most recently serving as Ambassador to Paraguay, a post he held from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that post, he was the Principal Officer of the US Interests Section in Havana (2002–2005).<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2009 |title=The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JAMES C. CASON |url=https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Cason-James-C..pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711145818/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Cason-James-C..pdf |archive-date=11 July 2024 |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training}}</ref> On January 20, 2011, he became the new mayor of Coral Gables, Florida.
== Background == Cason graduated from Dartmouth College in 1966 and has an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
== Career == Prior to assuming his post as United States Ambassador to Paraguay, 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. Cuban media broadcast a series of satirical animations poking fun at Cason known as ''Cabo Cason''.
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.
== Cuban dissidents == A group of 735 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 Cason and the US Interests Section. Their arrests coincided with the onset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq in March 2003. An exhibit (billboard) was erected by the United States Interests Section in Havana on September 8, 2005, in protest of the incarcerations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubasocialista.cu/texto/csidisi1.htm |title=THE "DIPLOMACY" OF JAMES CASON Manual for manufacturing dissidents |accessdate= |author=CUBA SOCIALISTA |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040108232206/http://www.cubasocialista.cu/texto/csidisi1.htm |archivedate=January 8, 2004 }}</ref> A number of the dissidents were subsequently released, but most of the individuals remained imprisoned until 2010.
== Guarani music == While posted in Paraguay, Cason learned the Guaraní language, a language spoken by 94% of the people of that country and in 2008, recorded an album, "Campo Jurado" ("The Field of Promises"), in which he sings folk songs in Guaraní.<ref name=NPR>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93449741&ft=1&f=1105 A U.S. Ambassador's Parting Gift To Paraguay]</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Cuba|Politics}} * Cuba-United States relations * Varela Project
== References == {{Reflist}} * ''The Miami Herald'',Former Diplomat, Local Attorney Latest Candidates in Mayor's Race by Tania Valdemoro; September 4, 2010; Page 3B.
== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20051107023159/http://havana.usinterestsection.gov/ US Interest Section in Cuba] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061206083611/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/15149.htm US Department of State: Biography of James C. Cason] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060614020539/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] *{{C-SPAN|1015045}}
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{succession box|title=United States Ambassador to Paraguay|before=John F. Keane|after=Liliana Ayalde|years=2006–2008}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cason, James}} Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:People from Coral Gables, Florida Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies alumni Category:Mayors of places in Florida Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Paraguay Category:United States Foreign Service personnel Category:George W. Bush administration personnel