Ambassador Martin J. Silverstein

Biographical data

The United States Senate unanimously confirmed Martin J. Silverstein as Ambassador to Uruguay, three days after President George W. Bush nominated him on July 31, 2001.

Ambassador Silverstein has labored diligently to strengthen bilateral relations, facilitating a $1.5 billion US Treasury loan to salvage Uruguay’s banking system; working directly with the White House to reopen US markets to banned Uruguayan beef; and personally attracting over $13 million in medical donations. His actions contributed significantly to a drop in Uruguay's unemployent rate and led Uruguayan President Jorge Batlle to publicly credit President Bush with saving his government and preventing economic collapse. In October 2004, the Ambassador facilitated the signing of the first Bilateral Investment Treaty of the Bush Administration and an Open Skies Agreement. The Department of State awarded Ambassador Silverstein the Superior Honor Award, a unique recognition for a non-career Ambassador.

On December 2, 2004, President Batlle decorated the Ambassador with the Medal of the Republic of Uruguay, the highest honor ever presented to an American citizen by the Uruguayan government.

Born in 1954 in New York, raised in Elizabeth, NJ and Merion, PA, the Ambassador is a first generation American. He graduated from Rutgers College (BA’76) and Temple Law School (JD’79, member Law Review) before founding his own law firm.

During 25 years as a Philadelphia lawyer, he represented multi-national businesses, was a member of the bars of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and US Court of International Trade, and he served on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission where he evaluated candidates for the Federal bench.

Ambassador Silverstein has actively associated with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, United Negro College Fund, Vietnam Veterans Committee for Better Legislation, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Lower Merion Historical Society. In 1999, he served as an accredited delegate on the Ukraine Presidential Election IRI Observation Mission. He served proudly for eight years as a Reserve Police Officer in Elizabeth, NJ.

In addition to the Medal of the Republic of Uruguay and the Superior Honor Award, he has been presented the Philadelphia Police Department Citizens Commendation for Bravery and the US Congress Certificate of Merit for service to veterans.

Ambassador Silverstein is professionally competent in Spanish and Hebrew. He and his wife Audrey, who is an attorney, have six children.

 • Biography of Mrs. Audrey Silverstein