{{Short description|American diplomat (1951–2025)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Lino Gutierrez | image = Lino Gutierrez.jpg | image_size = | country1 = Argentina | ambassador_from1 = United States | predecessor1 = [[James Donald Walsh]] | successor1 = [[Earl Anthony Wayne]] | president1 = [[George W. Bush]] | term_start1 = April 16, 2003 | term_end1 = April 8, 2006 | country3 = Nicaragua | ambassador_from3 = United States | term_start3 = December 5, 1996 | term_end3 = July 21, 1999 | predecessor3 = [[John Francis Maisto]] | successor3 = [[Oliver P. Garza]] | president3 = [[Bill Clinton]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|3|26}} | birth_place = [[Havana]], [[Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)|Cuba]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|5|3|1951|3|26}} | death_place = [[Alexandria, Virginia]], U.S. | party = | spouse = Miriam Messina | relations = | children = 3 | alma_mater = [[University of Miami]]<br/> [[The University of Alabama]] | occupation = | profession = Diplomat | footnotes = | awards = [[Distinguished Honor Award]] | order1 = 47th }}
'''Lino Gutiérrez''' (March 26, 1951 – May 3, 2025) was an American diplomat.
Gutiérrez served as [[United States Ambassador to Argentina|Ambassador to Argentina]] from September 2003 through July 2006. He was succeeded by [[Earl Anthony Wayne]]. Gutiérrez served as the Executive Director of the [[Una Chapman Cox Foundation]] and as an adjunct professor at the [[Elliott School of International Affairs]], [[George Washington University]] in Washington, D.C.,<ref>Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. http://elliott.gwu.edu/faculty/parttime_g.cfm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104013907/http://elliott.gwu.edu/faculty/parttime_g.cfm |date=November 4, 2013 }}</ref> and the School of Education at [[Johns Hopkins University]].
==Early life and education== Gutiérrez was a native of [[Havana]], Cuba, where he lived until his family fled the regime of [[Fidel Castro]] in 1961. They lived in Cali, Colombia for 14 months before moving permanently to the United States. <ref name="oralhistory" /> Gutiérrez attended the [[University of Miami]] and [[The University of Alabama]], where he received a B.A. in Political Science (1972) and an M.A. in Latin American Studies (1976).<ref name="oralhistory" /> He was a social studies teacher for the [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Dade County]] School System and the [[Urban League]] in Miami, Florida before entering the diplomatic services.
==Foreign service career== Gutiérrez entered the [[United States Foreign Service]] in 1977 and served in Latin America, Europe and the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. He has served as International Affairs Advisor at the [[National War College]] (2002), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department (1999–2001), Acting [[Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs|Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs]] (2001–2002), [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Nicaragua|United States Ambassador to Nicaragua]] (1996–1999).
During his tenure as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Argentina|U.S. Ambassador to Argentina]], the United States and Argentina signed agreements on counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics cooperation, and container security. In 2005, Gutiérrez welcomed [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] to Argentina as he attended the [[Summit of the Americas]]. As Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, Gutiérrez led the [[Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs]] on September 11, 2001 and beyond. He accompanied [[Colin Powell|Secretary of State Colin Powell]] to [[Lima]], Peru for the signing of the [[Inter-American Democratic Charter]], and returned with the Secretary's party to the United States on September 11, 2001. During his tenure in [[Nicaragua]], Gutiérrez coordinated the U.S. relief effort following the devastation of [[Hurricane Mitch]] in October 1998.<ref name="oralhistory">{{Cite web |date=26 July 2007 |title=The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR LINO GUTIERREZ |url=https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Gutierrez-Lino-1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624113055/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Gutierrez-Lino-1.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2024 |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training}}</ref>
Gutierrez also served in [[Santo Domingo]], Lisbon, [[Port-au-Prince]], [[Grenada]], Paris and [[Nassau, The Bahamas|Nassau]]. In Washington DC, Gutiérrez has served as Officer-in-Charge of Nicaraguan Affairs, Officer-in-Charge of Portuguese Affairs, and Director of the [[Policy Planning Staff (United States)|Office of Policy Planning]], Coordination and Press in the [[Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs|Bureau of Inter-American Affairs]].
Gutiérrez was a recipient of the Department of State's [[Awards of the United States Department of State|Distinguished Honor Award]], [[Awards of the United States Department of State|Superior Honor Award]] (twice) and [[Awards of the United States Department of State|Meritorious Honor Award]] (three times).
==Other activities== In 2007, Gutiérrez became CEO of Gutierrez Global LLC, a consulting firm specializing on strategic advice for corporations interested in investing in Latin America and Europe. From 2007 to 2009, Gutiérrez served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Commerce [[Carlos Gutierrez|Carlos Gutiérrez]] on Cuba transition and Latin America.
In December 2010, Gutiérrez was named Executive Director of the [[Una Chapman Cox Foundation]], which is dedicated to a strong and professional Foreign Service.
Gutiérrez also served as an adjunct professor at [[Johns Hopkins University]] and [[George Washington University]], and served on the board of [[Georgetown University|Georgetown University's]] Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. [[John Kerry|Secretary of State John Kerry]] appointed Gutiérrez to the Foreign Service Grievance Board in 2016.
==Death== Gutiérrez died in [[Alexandria, Virginia]] on May 3, 2025, at the age of 74.<ref>[https://ni.usembassy.gov/condolence-book-for-ambassador-lino-gutierrez/ Condolence Book for Ambassador Lino Gutierrez]</ref> He was survived by his wife, Miriam Messina of [[Santo Domingo]], his three daughters, and six grandchildren.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060415123229/http://buenosaires.usembassy.gov/bio.html Bio from the website of the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires] * {{IMDb name| 15508430}} * {{C-SPAN|81490}} * https://www.amdipstories.org/podcast/lino-gutierrez * https://www.amdipstories.org/podcast/lino-gutierrez8378140
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef | before = [[Chic Hecht]] }} {{s-ttl | title = [[United States Ambassador to the Bahamas|United States Chargé d'Affairs ''ad interim'',<br>the Bahamas]] | years = March 1993 – July 1993 }} {{s-aft | after = [[John S. Ford (diplomat)|John S. Ford]] | as = Chargé d'Affairs ad interim }} {{succession box | title = [[United States Ambassador to Nicaragua]] | years = December 5, 1996 – July 21, 1999 | before = [[John Francis Maisto]] | after = [[Oliver P. Garza]] }} {{succession box | title = [[United States Ambassador to Argentina]] | before = [[James Donald Walsh]] | after = [[Earl Anthony Wayne]] | years = October 15, 2003 – July 19, 2006 }} {{end}}
{{US Ambassadors to Argentina}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gutierrez, Lino}} [[Category:1951 births]] [[Category:2025 deaths]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the Bahamas]] [[Category:Cuban emigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Argentina]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Nicaragua]] [[Category:Hispanic and Latino American diplomats]] [[Category:United States Foreign Service personnel]] [[Category:Elliott School of International Affairs faculty]] [[Category:Johns Hopkins University faculty]] [[Category:University of Miami alumni]] [[Category:University of Alabama alumni]] [[Category:20th-century American diplomats]] [[Category:21st-century American diplomats]]