Jesse Scheckner
Two weeks after he fielded questions from Senators about his views on the Central American country and its importance to international trade and foreign policy, Kevin Marino Cabrera has been confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Panama.
Cabrera’s confirmation came on a 51-45 vote along party lines.
He shared a statement shortly after, thanking President Donald Trump for nominating him in December and the Senators who voted for him Wednesday.
“As Ambassador, I will be guided by a simple question articulated by Secretary (of State Marco Rubio): does this policy make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous? Alongside this principle, I will carry with me the values that have guided my service in Miami-Dade: a commitment to accessibility, accountability, and delivering results.”
The confirmation marks the latest political elevation of Cabrera, 34, who has served as an elected member of the Miami-Dade County Commission for the past two and a half years.
Prior to joining the 13-member panel in late 2022 with an endorsement from Trump, Cabrera worked as a lobbyist and political operative. He led Trump’s 2020 campaign in Florida.
Upon nominating Cabrera in December, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin — He will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!”
Cabrera, who was elected last year as a Republican State Committeeman, must resign from the County Commission before taking the Ambassador job.
During his confirmation hearing March 25, Cabrera fielded questions from both sides of the political aisle on how he views his potential role.
Asked about Trump’s calls for the U.S. to reclaim control of the Panama Canal for national security purposes, Cabrera said his job would be to “serve at the pleasure of the President” and reiterated Trump’s assertion that “all the options are on the table.”
“Part of ‘all the options’ includes diplomacy,” he said, adding, “President Trump is our Commander in Chief, and I stand behind him and his policies.”
He stressed that as an Ambassador, he would endeavor to fulfill Trump’s foreign policy mandate to make the U.S. “stronger, safer and more prosperous” while doing his best to maintain the Panama Canal’s neutrality.
But there are concerns. The Chinese Communist Party has exercised increased influence on the region and Panama, which Cabrera noted was both the first Central American country to enter and leave China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
China’s tendrils are likely still embedded there, Cabrera said.
“You’ve seen it in cities like Colón, with the cybersecurity grants (China gave) for cameras in the area. You don’t know where that cloud information might be stored, who has access to it, and some of the reports were they have cranes that have been given to them by the Chinese government as well,” he said.
The hearing never grew heated and featured only one potentially contentious exchange. That came from U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Hillary Clinton’s running 2016 mate against Trump.
Kaine asked about a 2018 incident in which Cabrera, then working as a lobbyist, was caught on video protesting alongside members of the far-right Proud Boys group outside the office of former Democratic U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
Cabrera has repeatedly maintained that he was exercising his First Amendment rights and denounced the Proud Boys and “any group that espouses any sort of hate.” He repeated that statement, verbatim, when Kaine asked him to condemn the Proud Boys.
“I believe there is no place for (hate), and we have to work together, and I think it would make for a better world,” he added.
Kaine thanked him for being clear on the matter. On Wednesday, he voted “nay” alongside all but one Senate Democrat. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voted for Cabrera.
Four Senators — Independent Bernie Sanders and Republicans Josh Hawley, Markwayne Mullin and Tommy Tuberville — didn’t vote.
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Editor’s note: This report was updated to highlight Shaheen’s vote and include a quote from Trump.
