Cuban Official to Be Expelled from U.S. After Alleged Assault on Diplomat at UN

A Cuban official is set to be expelled from the United States after allegedly shoving and attempting to assault an American diplomat at the United Nations. The incident occurred as U.S. Representative Mike Waltz was engaged in a heated exchange with Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

The Cuban delegate, identified by Cuban media as Richard Tur de la Concepción, the First Secretary of Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the UN, reportedly attempted to grab the cell phone of U.S. diplomat J.P. Freire while Freire was filming the confrontation. Video shared by Waltz shows Tur de la Concepción wagging his finger and pushing Freire’s device away, accusing the diplomat of violating his personal space.

Ambassador Mike Waltz stated in an interview that the Cuban official "shoved and tried to assault" a member of the American delegation. He confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "signed the paperwork to eject" the official, adding, "He’s gone. He’s going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours."

During his address at the UN, Waltz accused the Cuban delegation of attempting to use the international body as a "propaganda platform to paint themselves as the victim." He criticized their claims regarding the U.S. economic embargo, calling it an "absolute lie." Waltz's remarks preceded a UN vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo on Cuba, an annual tradition for the past 34 years.

Waltz further alleged that the Havana government profits from the forced labor of its citizens. To illustrate his point, he displayed photographs of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the current Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, both appearing to wear Rolex watches. Waltz suggested that the value of such watches would equate to many years of an average Cuban wage, highlighting his view of the disparity between the ruling elite and the general population.

He asserted that his aim was to counter communist propaganda with "hard truths," stating, "They didn’t like hearing those hard truths. They’re used to hearing the propaganda in communist Havana, but under the administration, we’re going to show the world the depredation and the failings of communism."

In response to the events, Rodríguez Parrilla accused Washington of issuing "crude lies" and described Waltz's actions as "arrogance and hubris." He characterized the U.S. statements at the UN as a "desperate attempt to justify the economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy siege."