Cuba
Eduardo Aguirre Jr.: From Cuba to American Diplomacy
Arrived alone from Cuba at fifteen through Operation Pedro Pan; later ambassador to Spain.
- Fled
- Cuba
- Status
- Refugee
- Arrived in the U.S.
- 1961
- Service
- U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra (2005 to 2009)
- Region
- Cuba
Eduardo Aguirre arrived in Miami in December 1961, fifteen years old and alone, as part of Operation Pedro Pan. He has described arriving with almost nothing in his pocket.
After a long career in banking, he became the first director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and then served as U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra from 2005 to 2009. His memoir tells the story of a Cuban exile's path from refugee to ambassador.
Read the history behind this story on the Cuba page, or browse all the diplomats.