In a sharp rebuke of a recent unilateral move by the Dominican Republic, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a forceful condemnation of the decision to expel nine Cuban diplomatic officials alongside their immediate family members, insisting the action lacks any legitimate or factual justification.
Havana has pushed back firmly against any implication of misconduct by its diplomatic corps, emphasizing that all Cuban representatives stationed in the Dominican Republic have consistently adhered to the standards outlined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Cuban government further confirmed that its envoys have always fully respected the domestic legal framework of the Dominican Republic, leaving no grounds for the expulsion order.
According to Cuban officials, the hostile measure is not an independent decision by Santo Domingo, but rather the direct result of sustained pressure from the United States, part of Washington’s long-running campaign to diplomatically isolate Cuba on the global stage. The Cuban government pointed to two recent precedents that underscore the Dominican Republic’s shifting alignment with U.S. policy toward Havana: first, the Dominican Republic’s choice to bar Cuban representatives from the postponed Summit of the Americas, and second, its reversal of position on a United Nations resolution backed by Cuba that calls for an end to the U.S. trade embargo against the island nation.
While Cuba acknowledged that the expulsions carry the potential to inflict severe, long-lasting damage to formal bilateral relations between the two Caribbean nations, it also stressed that the step will not sever the deep-rooted, historic connections that bind the Cuban and Dominican peoples. In its official statement, the Cuban government highlighted the shared cultural heritage, intertwined historical experiences, long-standing economic ties, and history of mutual solidarity that connect the two populations, noting these bonds run far deeper than current diplomatic tensions.
“The Dominican people can always count on the unwavering friendship and solidarity of the Cuban people,” the statement concluded.