In an official statement released on July 28, 2026, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a firm rejection of the recent announcement from Colombia’s incoming president, Abelardo de la Espriella Otero. On July 26, Otero revealed plans to shutter the Colombian Embassy in Havana and severe all governmental relations between the two neighboring Latin American nations, a move that Cuban officials say breaks sharply with the longstanding fraternal ties that have connected Cuba and Colombia for generations.
The Cuban government stresses that the planned cut to diplomatic ties is entirely without justification, and runs counter to the core national interests of the Colombian people. According to the statement, the proposed decision makes clear that Colombia’s next administration will subordinate its regional policy to the longstanding U.S.-backed agenda of division and confrontation between the two countries. The move also aligns with the most extreme, baseless strands of anti-Cuban politics that have emerged in Colombian political circles in recent years, Cuban officials added.
This break in bilateral relations stands in direct opposition to the vision of Latin American and Caribbean unity that the founding leaders of both nations fought to advance, a goal that communities across the region have sacrificed greatly to achieve. For years, Cuba and Colombia have maintained an open, productive bilateral relationship marked by meaningful progress across economic cooperation, cross-border trade, joint development initiatives and academic exchanges — advances that have delivered tangible benefits to citizens of both countries. Cuba has long prioritized deepening and expanding these mutually beneficial ties, the statement reaffirmed.
Cuban officials emphasized that the incoming Colombian administration’s unfounded hostile action does not reflect the true feelings of the Colombian people. For decades, Cuba has stood in unwavering solidarity with Colombians working toward a lasting peace via negotiated political settlements to the country’s long-running internal armed conflict, a commitment the nation will continue to uphold.
In line with the 2016 Colombian peace accords negotiated in Havana, Cuba will continue honoring all of its commitments to Colombian medical students currently pursuing their education on the island. The statement closed with a reaffirmation of the enduring brotherhood between the Cuban and Colombian peoples, noting that this people-to-people bond will outlast any political attempt to weaken it.