The Dominican Republic on Thursday ordered nine officials from the Cuban embassy in Santo Domingo to leave the country, a move that drew sharp condemnation from Cuba’s communist government, which accused the Caribbean nation of bowing to Washington.
The Dominican Foreign Ministry said in an official statement it had given the nine unidentified embassy staff members and their families seven days to depart, citing the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as the legal basis for the action. The ministry did not provide a specific reason for the expulsion, noting only that it was acting “in accordance with established regulations” and would handle the matter “with due discretion” through diplomatic channels to preserve bilateral ties.
“As this involves diplomatic communications, we wish to inform you that no further details regarding this matter will be provided,” the statement concluded, according to the ministry.
Havana Responds
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry fired back with a statement branding the expulsion a purported “act of subordination” to U.S. “aggressive policy” on Cuba. Havana claimed the actual number of expelled diplomats was ten, not nine, and insisted there was “no reason whatsoever” for the move, asserting that Cuban diplomats “have always acted in strict adherence to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and with absolute respect for the laws of that sister nation.”
The Cuban statement went further, alleging that the Dominican government’s action could only be explained by “submission to pressure from the U.S. government, which, in its drive to isolate Cuba, has set out to damage our diplomatic relations with countries in the region.”
Cuba also cited earlier disputes with the Dominican Republic, including Santo Domingo’s decision to bar Cuba from the 10th Summit of the Americas and a reported “change in vote” against the U.S. embargo at the United Nations, as evidence of a pattern of alignment with Washington.
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Havana acknowledged that while the expulsion would “sensibly injure” relations between the two governments, it could not “sever” the bonds between the countries.
Abinader’s Hardening Stance
The expulsion marks the latest escalation in Dominican President Luis Abinader’s increasingly critical posture toward the Cuban regime. In May, Abinader told Infobae that Cuba is “obviously not a democratic state” and suggested the Castro regime was beginning to realize it needed to change and “moving in that direction.”
In July, the Dominican Republic was among 30 countries that abstained from a U.N. vote demanding an urgent debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba, a shift from previous votes that had drawn attention from Havana.
The Dominican government’s decision to expel the Cuban diplomats without public explanation leaves room for speculation, but analysts note that the move aligns with Abinader’s recent rhetoric and the broader regional trend of tightening pressure on authoritarian governments.
This report was compiled from information provided by Breitbart News, which cited official statements from both governments.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2026/08/14/dominican-republic-expels-nine-cuban-embassy-officials/