Dominican Republic Expels Cuban Embassy Employees

The government of the Dominican Republic took the decision on Thursday to expel nine staff members from the Cuban embassy located in Santo Domingo.

This action sparked outrage from the Cuban government, which perceives it as a maneuver by the Dominican Republic and the United States meant to exert control over Cuba.

According to a statement from the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the identified Cuban embassy employees—and their families—have been given a week to leave the country. While the government refrained from specifying the reasons for the expulsion, it mentioned that it was in accordance with the regulations of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

In the official communication, the Dominican government asserted that it is acting within the framework of established diplomatic norms and is committed to managing the situation through appropriate channels to maintain bilateral relations.

Furthermore, the statement mentioned that, due to the sensitive nature of the diplomatic communications involved, no additional information will be shared on the matter.

The Cuban government responded swiftly, denouncing the expulsion as an act of submission to U.S. foreign policy aimed at Cuba. While the Dominican side reported nine diplomats being expelled, the Cuban Ministry insisted that the actual number was ten.

Cuban officials argued that there was no justification for this action, stressing that their diplomats had consistently adhered to the Vienna Convention and the laws of host countries. They suggested that the motives behind the expulsion stemmed from U.S. pressure, aimed at isolating Cuba and harming its international relations.

Moreover, the Cuban government pointed out that this isn’t the first instance of the Dominican Republic aligning itself with the U.S. stance against Cuba, referencing prior actions like barring Cuba from participating in the 10th Summit of the Americas.

They claimed that this latest decision would significantly harm diplomatic ties but clarified that it wouldn’t sever all connections between the two nations.

In recent months, Dominican President Luis Abinader has been openly critical of the Cuban regime. Earlier this year, he emphasized that Cuba does not operate as a democracy. He suggested that the Castro government was aware of the need for reforms and seemed to be moving in that direction.

Additionally, in July, the Dominican Republic opted to abstain from a United Nations vote concerning discussions around the Cuban embargo.