For the American football player, see Jim Cason
| Office1: | Mayor of Coral Gables, Florida |
| Term Start1: | January 20, 2011 |
| Term End1: | April 15, 2017 |
| Predecessor1: | Don Slesnick |
| Successor1: | Raul Valdes-Fauli |
| Ambassador From2: | United States |
| Country2: | Paraguay |
| Term Start2: | February 1, 2006 |
| Term End2: | August 2, 2008 |
| President2: | George W. Bush |
| Predecessor2: | John F. Keane |
| Successor2: | Liliana Ayalde |
| Office3: | 11th Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba |
| President3: | George W. Bush |
| Term Start3: | September 10, 2002 |
| Term End3: | September 10, 2005 |
| Predecessor3: | Vicki J. Huddleston |
| Successor3: | Michael E. Parmly |
| Birth Name: | James Caldwell Cason |
| Birth Date: | 14 November 1944 |
| Birth Place: | Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse: | Carmen Cason |
| Party: | Republican |
| Profession: | U.S. Foreign Service officer Diplomat |
James Caldwell Cason (born November 14, 1944) is a retired United States Foreign Service officer, most recently serving as Ambassador to Paraguay, a post he held from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that post, he was the Principal Officer of the US Interests Section in Havana (2002–2005).[1] On January 20, 2011, he became the new mayor of Coral Gables, Florida.
Cason graduated from Dartmouth College in 1966 and has an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Prior to assuming his post as United States Ambassador to Paraguay, he served as the chief of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, from September 10, 2002 to September 10, 2005. He was succeeded by Michael E. Parmly. Cuban media broadcast a series of satirical animations poking fun at Cason known as Cabo Cason.
Cason also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Kingston, Jamaica. Previously he served as Political Advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) and to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). Cason also served at U.S. missions in Milan, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; San Salvador, El Salvador; Panama City, Panama; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Montevideo, Uruguay; and La Paz, Bolivia.
A group of 735 Cuban dissidents (some connected with the Varela Project) were arrested by the Cuban government and accused of accepting gifts (including cash as well as office machines and office space) from Cason and the US Interests Section. Their arrests coincided with the onset of the 2003 invasion of Iraq in March 2003. An exhibit (billboard) was erected by the United States Interests Section in Havana on September 8, 2005, in protest of the incarcerations.[2] A number of the dissidents were subsequently released, but most of the individuals remained imprisoned until 2010.
While posted in Paraguay, Cason learned the Guaraní language, a language spoken by 94% of the people of that country and in 2008, recorded an album, "Campo Jurado" ("The Field of Promises"), in which he sings folk songs in Guaraní.[3]