US to expel Cuban diplomat after confrontation with Mike Waltz’s team
US officials say a Cuban diplomat will be expelled after a confrontation at the United Nations involving US Ambassador Mike Waltz’s team. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the paperwork, and Waltz said the diplomat would be sent to Havana within 24 hours.
The dispute began when Waltz criticised what he called “corrupt Cuban elites” and displayed images of Fidel Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel wearing Rolex watches, which he said were worth about $40,000. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla called Waltz a liar, and a Cuban delegate, Richard Tur de la Concepción, was accused of lunging at Waltz’s spokesman and trying to take his phone as he recorded. Waltz described the incident as an attempted assault on an American diplomat.
In short
- Rubio signed the order to expel Cuban delegate Richard Tur de la Concepción.
- The decision followed a confrontation with Mike Waltz’s team at the UN.
- Waltz’s remarks about Cuban leaders’ watches preceded the clash.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The US can argue that diplomats must be protected from physical intimidation and that an alleged attempt to grab a staff member’s phone crossed a line requiring a clear response. Expelling the Cuban official would signal that such conduct is unacceptable and help safeguard the work of its delegation.
The case against
Cuba can argue that expulsion is a serious response to a disputed confrontation, especially when the account comes from the US side and the incident’s details are contested. It could view the move as an escalation that risks politicising diplomatic protections, while insisting that sharp criticism and heated exchanges at the UN should be handled through established procedures and evidence.
Explained simply
The United States and Cuba have had a long-running political dispute, dating back to the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959. The US has maintained an economic embargo on Cuba for decades, while the two countries have had periods of closer and more strained relations.
Mike Waltz is the US ambassador to the United Nations, where diplomats represent their governments and debate international issues. Marco Rubio is the US secretary of state; Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla is Cuba’s foreign minister, and Cuban officials at the UN represent Havana.
The dispute reflects wider tensions over Cuba’s government and US policy towards the island. Diplomatic expulsions can reduce contact between governments and add strain to relations, though they do not by themselves end diplomatic ties.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Rubio expels Cuban diplomat from the US after fiery clash with Trump ambassador Mike Waltz at UN: ‘He’s gone!’”.