Cuban officials gathered at Havana’s airport on Friday to welcome home a diplomat who was expelled by the United States following an unusually heated confrontation between the two nations at the United Nations earlier this week. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Peñalver shared a photograph on social media platform X, showing Richard Tur de la Concepción, the first secretary of Cuba’s U.N. mission, being greeted by Foreign Ministry officials while holding a Cuban flag.
This event marked the first public response from Cuba since the U.S. State Department confirmed it would take action against Tur. The expulsion followed an incident on Tuesday during a General Assembly session focused on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. According to U.S. officials, Tur allegedly shoved an American diplomat and attempted to snatch a phone the diplomat was using to record their interaction. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz announced the expulsion, which was later confirmed by the State Department.
Peñalver defended the diplomat, stating that Tur had “firmly and with dignity confronted the disrespectful and provocative behavior” of the U.S. delegation. He further alleged that American officials were attempting to disrupt a vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo and were working to undermine Tur’s candidacy for a position on a U.N. body. In contrast, the Cuban government maintained that Tur was simply defending himself after his personal space was invaded.
The confrontation escalated into a public shouting match between Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez. Peñalver characterized the U.S. delegation’s actions as part of a broader strategy to obstruct the vote against what he described as a “genocidal blockade.” Despite the tension, the General Assembly passed the resolution on Wednesday by a vote of 130-17, with 25 abstentions. This nonbinding measure is introduced annually to call for an end to the U.S. embargo.
In a post on X, Tur expressed gratitude for the reception, stating, “Cuba will prevail over Yankee arrogance and anyone who seeks to intimidate us.” The diplomatic friction occurs as relations between the two countries have significantly deteriorated, particularly since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an energy blockade on Cuba in January to pressure the nation’s government and political system. Additionally, Washington has issued threats regarding potential military action against the Caribbean country.
