Rodríguez Parrilla served as Cuba's
Permanent Representative to the
United Nations from 1995 to 2003. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on March 2, 2009, replacing
Felipe Pérez Roque, after serving as the Vice-Minister. This was a result of the
2009 shake-up by Raúl Castro. On 25 October 2011, Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the
United Nations General Assembly right before the annual non-binding vote calling for the
United States to end its
embargo against Cuba. On 20 July 2015, Rodríguez attended the reinauguration of the
Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., making him the first Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit the United States on a diplomatic mission since 1958. == Awards ==