MIAMI - House Speaker Daniel "Danny" Perez, R-Miami, congratulated Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabera on Wednesday after he was named U.S. ambassador to Panama by President-elect Donald Trump.
"Congratulations to my friend @KMCabreraFL on his nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Panama! Another great Florida pick showcasing @realDonaldTrump's trust in our state's leaders to represent America on the world stage," Perez said.
Cabrera currently serves District Six on the Miami-Dade County Commission, which includes Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, West Miami, and unincorporated neighborhoods of the county.
Cabrera also served as the Florida state director for Trump’s 2020 campaign and as a member of the Republican National Committee Platform Committee.
Born in Miami to Cuban exiles, Cabrera went to South Miami Senior High School and graduated with honors from Miami Dade College. He also received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida International University, where he graduated cum laude.
Cabrera's selection comes after Trump recently called for the United States to take over the country's Panama Canal. In his reasoning, Trump said the Central American country was ripping off the United States with "ridiculous" shipping fees.
He also accused Panama of giving preferential treatment to the Chinese. In response, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino denied both allegations.
According to figures from the Panama Canal Authority, the United States is the largest user of the Panama Canal. China is a distant second place followed by Japan and the Republic of North Korea.
Along with Perez, Miami Mayor Francis Saurez congratulated Cabrera on Wednesday.
".@KMCabreraFL is not only a close friend but exactly the kind of leader @realdonaldTrump needs in LATAM. Another incredible Floridian who’ll put America First, full stop," Saurez said.
The U.S. began building the Panama Canal under President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. Opened in 1914, the 51-mile waterway is a major passage for ships and naval vessels to save time as it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, with the alternative being an 8,000-nautical-mile journey around the southern tip of South America.
Beginning with the Carter administration in the late 1970s, the U.S. officially handed over canal control to Panama in 1999.
