Cuba issues verbal warning to top US diplomat in Havana for 'disrespectful conduct'
By Dave Sherwood
HAVANA (Reuters) -Cuba`s foreign ministry said on Friday it had issued a verbal warning to the top U.S. diplomat in Havana complaining of behavior it called "intervenionist," the latest escalation as tensions grow between the two long-time foes.
Cuba said U.S. Chief of Mission Mike Hammer had incited "Cuban citizens to commit serious criminal acts, attack the constitutional order, or encourage them to act against the authorities," calling his actions a violation of the Vienna Convention norms on diplomatic relations.
"The immunity he enjoys as a representative of his country cannot be used as cover for acts contrary to the sovereignty and internal order of the country to which he is accredited, in this case Cuba," the statement said.
Hammer, a career U.S. diplomat who arrived in Cuba six months ago, has traveled the island widely to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest.
The U.S. State Department defended Hammer`s actions.
"Chief of Mission Mike Hammer and the U.S. Embassy proudly represent President Trump by implementing an America First foreign policy and seeking accountability for the Cuban regime for its malign influence across the Americas," a State Department official said.
"We will continue to meet with Cuban patriots, religious leaders, and those fighting for the freedoms of Cubans," the official said.
The growing tensions come as Cubans confront the worst economic downturn in decades, a predicament the Cuban government blames on the Cold War-era U.S. embargo, a web of restrictions that impede financial transactions, trade, tourism and the import of fuel.
Cuba`s decision to formally chastise Hammer comes just days the U.S. diplomat said in a press conference in Miami that the Trump administration was preparing further sanctions against the communist-run nation.
Cuba has repeatedly criticized Hammer over months but has not impeded his travels across the island.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
33 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ukraine and Russia Hold Urgent Peace Talks After Deadly Attacks: Live Updates
Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Turkey on Monday for urgent peace talks, the second round in just over two weeks, following a series of major attacks over the weekend. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Vladimir Putin, leads the Kremlin team, officials said. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is hosting the talks at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace. Ukrainian negotiators plan to present a roadmap for a long-term peace settlement including an initial 30-day ceasefire, prisoner swap and repatriation of Ukrainian children, Reuters reports. If successful, a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin would follow. However, the escalating in violence and comments by senior officials in both countries indicate a new peace deal is unlikely. What To Know The talks come amid mounting tensions after a Ukrainian drone operation reportedly destroyed more than 40 military aircraft's from Putin's war machine deep inside Russian territory. The strike targeted airfields including the Belaya air base in Irkutsk, located over 2,500 miles from Ukraine, a Ukrainian security official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It marks the first confirmed Ukrainian drone activity in the region. Russian forces also launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine over the weekend that killed at least 12 service members and wounded over 60, military officials said. Ukraine's air force reported the deployment of 472 drones—the largest single-day barrage since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022—alongside seven missiles. Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
EU says it will make strong case for US tariff cuts this week
By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission said on Monday it would make a strong case this week for the United States to reduce or eliminate tariffs even after Donald Trump said he would double import duties on steel and aluminium to 50%. European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at an OECD gathering in Paris on Wednesday, while Commission technical teams will be in discussions with counterparts in Washington this week. The Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation European Union, said it was prioritising negotiations to resolve the conflict. "We don't want to go down the route of tariffs. Rather than have them increase, we want them to decrease and where possible eliminate them," a Commission spokesperson told a press conference on Monday. "That remains the case, that remains our priority. We will be making that case strongly both at technical level and at political level this week." The EU has said it strongly regrets the planned doubling of steel tariffs. The EU currently faces 25% tariffs on steel and cars and for Trump and "reciprocal" tariffs on most EU goods, which were provisionally set at 20% for the EU but is being held at 10% during a 90-day pause until July. The EU imposed, but immediately suspended, a first set of counter tariffs on 21 billion euros ($24 billion) of annual U.S. imports package in response to U.S. metals duties. It is also weighing a response to the U.S. car and broader tariffs that would hit up to 95 billion euros of U.S. imports. The Commission said that, in the absence of a mutually acceptable solution, these countermeasures would take effect automatically on July 14, or earlier if circumstances require. ($1 = 0.8759 euros)
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Indian billionaire Adani under new scrutiny from US prosecutors, WSJ reports
(Reuters) -U.S. prosecutors are investigating whether Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's companies imported Iranian liquefied petroleum gas into India through their Mundra port, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. A WSJ investigation found tankers traveling between Mundra in the western Indian state of Gujarat and the Persian Gulf exhibited traits experts say are common for ships evading sanctions, the report said. The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing activities of several LPG tankers used to ship cargoes to Adani Enterprises, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. "Adani categorically denies any deliberate engagement in sanctions evasion or trade involving Iranian-origin LPG," a company spokesman told the WSJ in a statement. "Further, we are not aware of any investigation by U.S. authorities on this subject." Adani, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump said in May that all purchases of Iranian oil or petrochemical products must stop and any country or person buying any from the country would be immediately subject to secondary sanctions. Any inquiry into Adani would come months after U.S. authorities indicted Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, alleging they paid bribes to secure power supply contracts, and misled U.S. investors during fund-raising in the United States. Adani Group has called the accusations "baseless" and vowed to seek "all possible legal recourse". Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
