Noboa Discusses Cuba but Offers No Details on Expulsion from Ecuador

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa addressed his government's decision to expel Cuban diplomatic personnel from the country during a radio interview today, though he offered no specific details regarding the motives behind the move.

The president spoke specifically about the burning of documents that took place on the grounds of the Cuban embassy in Quito, images of which circulated on social media the previous day and were even shared by the president himself. Although this is considered a standard practice following the closure of a diplomatic legation, as provided for in international law, Noboa told Radio Canela that he did not believe it was "anything positive if they were burning papers on the terrace."

"I didn't know that part of the Cuban diet was paper," the head of state commented during the Thursday interview with Radio Canela, where he cast doubt on the nature of the documentation. "Let's be clear: all diplomatic papers can leave in a diplomatic pouch."

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility announced the previous day that, in application of Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, it was declaring Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutiérrez persona non grata, along with the diplomatic, consular, and administrative staff of that mission.

The Cuban government rejected the decision "in the strongest terms," a measure it described as "arbitrary and unjustified." In a statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry questioned Quito's determination to demand the departure of the Caribbean nation's Embassy personnel "without providing any argument whatsoever."

"It does not seem coincidental that it was taken in a context characterized by the reinforcement of the United States' aggression against Cuba and the strong pressure from that country's government on third states to join that policy, just days before the Summit that has been convened in Miami," the statement added.

On Thursday, the Cuban embassy, located in the north of the capital, awoke to calm conditions, with the usual police presence, some reporters nearby, and individuals who approached concerned about the continuity of consular procedures. Following a vigil the previous day in support of the island, solidarity groups have again called for a gathering this afternoon with the aim of expressing their rejection of the Ecuadorian government's decision.