Cuba appoints new ambassadors to France and Guatemala

The Cuban Council of State has announced several new diplomatic appointments through official agreements published in the Official Gazette.

Yurielkys Sarduy Martínez has been appointed as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Cuba to the French Republic. She succeeds Otto Vaillant Frías, who has concluded his mission. Sarduy Martínez previously served as the first secretary at the Cuban embassy in Paris in 2019 and held a deputy chief position within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2024.

Additionally, Ivette Martínez Leyva has been designated as the new Cuban ambassador to Guatemala, replacing Nazario Fernández Biosca, who has held the post since 2019. Martínez Leyva most recently served as the diplomatic representative to Grenada. This leadership change in Guatemala follows the decision in early 2026 not to renew the agreement for Cuban medical brigades.

Both appointments were formalized by agreements signed by Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People's Power, with implementation tasked to Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.