U.S. Senate Confirms Ambassador to Mexico after Nine-month Delay

The Senate Thursday confirmed the appointment of a new U.S. ambassador to Mexico, ending a nine-month delay caused by lawmakers opposed to the nominee's work on the U.S.-Cuban rapprochement.

Roberta Jacobson, the current assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, was nominated by President Barack Obama in June of last year.

But the appointment was quickly put on hold by lawmakers from the opposition Republican Party.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban origin, was the leading force behind the hold-up, opposing Jacobson's central role in the diplomatic reconciliation between the United States and Cuba.

Jacobson's nomination was delayed in particular as Rubio hit the campaign trail in a bid for the U.S. presidency.

However, Rubio's recent return to the Senate after dropping out of the race brought the issue back to the fore and prompted intense negotiations between the State Department and senators.

In an official statement, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his satisfaction Thursday that the "Senate has finally confirmed Roberta S. Jacobson."

"Nine months after her nomination, I'm pleased to say we are sending one of our finest diplomats to advance this important relationship," he said.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, one of the staunchest advocates for rapprochement with Cuba, said in a statement that "though long overdue, I'm pleased that the Senate has confirmed an individual as qualified and capable as Roberta Jacobson."