Candela Maceda | Staff Writer
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Cuban-American businessman and FIU CasaCuba donor Benjamín León Jr. to serve as the U.S ambassador in Spain.
“Benjamin is a highly successful entrepreneur, equestrian, and philanthropist. He came to the U.S. from Communist Cuba at 16-years-old, with only Five Dollars in his pocket, and proceeded to build his company, Leon Medical Centers, into an incredible business,” said Trump on Truth Social.
Last year, Benjamín León Jr. gave Florida International University a $10 million gift to build FIU’s CasaCuba, a Cuban cultural and academic center intended to promote the exchange of ideas and discussion over Cuban affairs.
León came to Miami at 16-years-old in 1961, and was soon joined by his parents and brother, who relocated to the city later that year. León Jr.’s father noticed a flood of Cuban immigrants moving to Miami in need of Spanish-speaking medical professionals, as they struggled to access healthcare due to “language barriers.” To combat this issue, León Jr.’s father and his partners founded Clínica Cubana in 1964. Later, León Jr. and his father established Clínica Asociación Cubana, which became Florida’s first licensed Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). In 1996, León Jr. established León Medical Centers, which has grown into one of the largest healthcare institutions in Florida, serving more than 40,000 patients in Miami-Dade County.
Before León Jr. can officially take office, his appointment needs to be confirmation by the U.S Senate.
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