‘He’s gone’: Mike Waltz says Cuban diplomat to be expelled from US after heated UN confrontation

A Cuban diplomat is set to be expelled from the United States after allegedly attempting to assault an American diplomat during a heated confrontation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US Ambassador Mike Waltz has said.According to the New York Post, the incident took place on Tuesday when Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción, the first secretary of Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the UN, allegedly pushed away the cellphone of US diplomat J.P. Freire as he recorded a heated argument between Waltz and Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity on Tuesday night, Waltz said US secretary of state Marco Rubio had signed the paperwork to expel the Cuban official. He added that the diplomat would be sent back to Havana within 24 hours.“He’s gone. He’s going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours,” Waltz said, warning that the Trump administration would not tolerate physical aggression against American officials.The confrontation unfolded a day before the United Nations was scheduled to vote on a resolution condemning the longstanding US economic embargo on Cuba, a measure that has faced widespread international opposition.During his speech at the General Assembly, Waltz criticised Cuba’s leadership, accusing its ruling elite of enjoying a life of luxury while ordinary citizens faced economic hardship and shortages. His remarks prompted Rodríguez Parrilla to stand up and shout from the floor before moving towards the US ambassador.Waltz later accused the Cuban delegation of attempting to intimidate American officials and UN staff during the confrontation. In a post on X, he alleged that a Cuban diplomat had tried to pressure UN staff into cutting the US delegation’s microphones before confronting an American official who noticed the incident.The US ambassador also accused Havana of using the United Nations as a platform for propaganda and portraying itself as a victim of Washington’s policies.During his speech, Waltz displayed photographs of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches and current Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sporting a similar luxury timepiece. He argued that the leadership’s lifestyle contrasted sharply with the economic difficulties faced by the Cuban population.Waltz also accused the Cuban government of profiting from the forced labour of its citizens, describing the reaction from the delegation as a “meltdown” in response to his criticism.Rodríguez Parrilla, meanwhile, accused Washington of spreading lies and attempting to justify what he described as economic aggression against Cuba. He also criticised Waltz’s remarks as arrogant.The dispute comes amid longstanding tensions between Washington and Havana over US sanctions and the economic embargo imposed on the Caribbean island.The UN General Assembly has voted annually on a resolution calling for an end to the embargo for more than three decades. The first such vote took place in 1992, when 59 countries supported the motion. Last year, 165 countries voted in favour.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.