MIAMI, United States. – The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the appointment of Peter Lamelas, an American doctor born in Cuba, as a future ambassador to Argentina.
“Peter is an incredible doctor, philanthropist and businessman… When he was a child, his family fled communist Cuba and LEGALLY emigrated to the US, starting from scratch and achieving the American dream,” Trump posted on his social network, Social Truth.
The future ambassador was quick to thank Trump: “Mr. President, thank you for this incredible honor. The world sees it clearly: America is back because Donald J. Trump is back. Under his leadership, the relationship between the United States and Argentina will achieve unprecedented greatness. MAGA”, wrote on the social network.
Mr. President, thank you for this incredible honor. The world sees it clearly: America is back because Donald J. Trump is back.
Under your leadership, the US-Argentina relationship will achieve greatness like never before. MAGA https://t.co/7p5JztwB8f
— Peter Lamelas, MD, MBA (@pldocmd) December 12, 2024
Lamelas, who was presented to the Argentine president Javier Milei at Mar-a-Lago, must still pass the formal hearing at the Capitol. The forecast is that he will take office in Buenos Aires in April, in a context of bilateral relations marked by the political alignment between Trump and Milei.
The future ambassador has openly praised Milei’s agenda, comparing it to Trump’s. He believes that the Argentine president seeks to free his country from “decades of socialism and mismanagement” and that, like Trump, he understands that prosperity is based on a smaller and more efficient State.
“As a Cuban refugee who escaped communism, I have seen firsthand the devastation of socialism,” Lamelas said.
The Cuban-born doctor has no previous diplomatic experience, but he is emerging as a key link to deepen bilateral relations. Its role could be decisive in the future negotiations of the Argentine Government with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), given that a call from Trump in favor of Argentina could facilitate agreements with the organization’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva.
Additionally, Milei has expressed his intention to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States, a process in which Lamelas would also play an active role.
