US expels Cuban diplomat accused of shoving at UN

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed an order expelling a Cuban diplomat accused of shoving and trying to assault a member of the American delegation during a heated General Assembly debate on Tuesday, October 27, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said. Waltz announced the move on Fox News's ↗ 0.45% "Hannity" on Tuesday night. "He's gone. He is going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours," he said, according to Newsweek and the New York Post.newsweek.com+1

The expulsion comes as the General Assembly prepares to vote Wednesday, October 28, on Cuba's annual resolution calling for an end to the US embargo. Waltz added that "you lay a hand on an American here in the United States, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and myself – we're not going to stand for it".nypost.com

The diplomat and the video

Cuban media identified the official as Richard Tur de la Concepción, first secretary of Cuba's Permanent Mission to the UN. Video shared by Waltz appears to show him grabbing at the phone of US spokesman J.P. Freire, who was filming the confrontation, and accusing Freire of "violating [his] personal space". Neither government has named him in an official statement. Waltz also said a Cuban diplomat tried to get UN staff to cut the US microphones during his speech. As of Wednesday morning, Cuba's foreign ministry had not commented on the expulsion.en.cibercuba.com+2

A suspended session

The scuffle followed a shouting match on the Assembly floor. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla raised a point of order and asked that Waltz be called to order over remarks he called offensive. Cuban delegates then approached the podium, Waltz told them to "back off," and the Assembly president briefly suspended the meeting, according to the UN's official meeting summary. "This isn't Havana," Waltz shouted, according to the Miami Herald. Rodríguez called him a liar.press.un.org+2

Rodríguez later wrote on X that Washington used "crude lies" to justify "its economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy blockade".bostonglobe.com

Vote ahead

On Wednesday, member states will vote for the 34th time on the resolution. Last year it passed with 165 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions, its weakest support in two decades. Cuba accuses Washington of running an "unprecedented" pressure campaign to win more no votes. Waltz told reporters to expect a shift. "You're going to see that vote change tomorrow," he said, according to OnCuba.news.un.org+2