Cuba Rejects Expulsion of Diplomats by Dominican Government

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba on Thursday rejected in the strongest possible terms the decision by the government of the Dominican Republic to expel 10 Cuban diplomatic officials stationed in that country, along with their family members.

In a statement released by the foreign ministry, Cuba emphasized that there is no justification for the Dominican authorities’ action and stressed that Cuban officials have always acted in strict compliance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and with full respect for Dominican laws.

Instead, the statement argued that the move reflects “the submission of the Dominican Republic’s government to pressures from the U.S. government, which, in its effort to isolate Cuba, has set out to damage our diplomatic relations with countries in the region.”

The ministry also noted that this is not the first time the Dominican government has aligned itself with the hostile policy and aggressive escalation pursued by the United States against the island.

As evidence of that posture, it cited Cuba’s exclusion from the postponed X Summit of the Americas and the Dominican Republic’s shift in its vote on the Cuban resolution against the U.S. embargo at the U.N. General Assembly.

“With this new act, the Dominican authorities seriously damage ties between the two governments, but they will not be able to tear apart the deep and historic bonds between the Cuban and Dominican peoples, cemented from the independence struggles of both countries to the present day,” the foreign ministry said.

It highlighted how illustrious Dominicans are woven into Cuba’s history and vice versa, and also underscored that both peoples share cultural, economic, and solidarity ties that are irrevocable.

“The Dominican people can always count on the unwavering friendship and solidarity of the Cuban people,” the statement concluded.