Dagoberto Rodríguez Barrera

Dagoberto Rodríguez Barrera studied journalism at the University of Havana before training in international relations and national defense. His early diplomatic work concentrated on North America: he served in the ministry’s regional department, at the Cuban embassy in Canada, and as a counselor in the Washington Interests Section. ¹

He headed the Washington mission from 2001 to 2007. The posting brought him into contact with American legislators seeking to ease trade and travel restrictions, while Cuba’s treatment of dissidents repeatedly strained those efforts. In April 2003, a bipartisan group of senators wrote directly to Rodríguez urging the release of arrested activists and journalists and warning that restrictions on American diplomats would damage prospects for engagement. ^{2, 1}

Rodríguez became a deputy foreign minister in 2008 and ambassador to Mexico in 2012. In a 2016 interview, he described efforts to renew the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and expand university, scientific, agricultural, and cultural exchanges. ¹