Nomination of Alberto Martinez Piedra To Be United States Ambassador to Guatemala

The President today announced his intention to nominate Alberto Martinez Piedra, of Maryland, as Ambassador to Guatemala. He would succeed Frederic L. Chapin.

Mr. Piedra was a professor at the University of Villanova, in Havana, Cuba, in 1958 (April-December) and in 1959 (June-September). In 1959 he was Director General of Exports and Imports of the Ministry of Commerce in Havana. He was staff economist with the Organization of American States in Washington, DC, in 1960-1964, and associate professor at the Catholic University of America in 1964-1982. Since 1982 he has been with the Department of State as United States Representative to the Inter-American Economic and Social Council of the Organization of American States and senior policy adviser.

Mr. Piedra received his doctor of law in 1951 from the University of Havana (Cuba), his doctor in political economy in 1957 from the University of Madrid (Spain), and Ph.D. in 1962 from Georgetown University. His foreign languages are Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. He was born January 29, 1926, in Havana, Cuba, and became a United States citizen in 1969.