Tension in Havana: Cuban regime summons Mike Hammer and accuses him of inciting criminal acts

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba (MINREX) summoned this Friday, May 30, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in Havana, Mike Hammer, to deliver a Note of Protest accusing him of adopting a “provocative and irresponsible” conduct, for allegedly inciting Cuban citizens to commit serious crimes and act against the constitutional order.

The meeting was led by Alejandro García del Toro, Director of Bilateral Affairs of the General Directorate of the United States at MINREX, who expressed the Cuban regime's "firm rejection" of the behavior of the U.S. diplomat, describing it as disrespectful and interventionist.

According to the official statement from MINREX, Hammer allegedly promoted demonstrations in favor of "the objectives and interests of a hostile foreign power," referring to the United States.

Cuban authorities believe that their actions contravene the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the bilateral commitments made in the Agreement on the Restoration of Relations between the two countries.

"By encouraging Cuban citizens to commit acts of serious criminality, to undermine the constitutional order, or to incite them to act against the authorities and to demonstrate in support of the interests and objectives of a hostile foreign power, the diplomat is engaging in provocative and irresponsible behavior," warned García del Toro.

The Cuban government also criticized what it called a "public and insulting manipulation" of the figure of José Martí by Hammer. According to the MINREX, his statements about the National Hero of Cuba reveal a profound ignorance of the independence and anti-imperialist legacy of the Cuban leader.

During the meeting, the Cuban official handed the Chargé d'Affaires copies of excerpts from the well-known incomplete letter from Martí to Manuel Mercado, in which the intellectual warns about the dangers that U.S. expansion poses to Cuban sovereignty.

This new episode of diplomatic friction occurs amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana, characterized by mutual accusations and a gradual deterioration of bilateral relations. Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in Cuba has not issued an immediate response to the MINREX statement.

The regime has been monitoring Hammer's movements in Cuba for months

For weeks now, the Cuban regime has intensified its attacks against Mike Hammer, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in Havana.

Criticism began following his appearances at public and religious events, which the authorities interpreted as provocation and interference. Rather than retreating, the diplomat has responded by increasing his presence in various regions of the country and strengthening his ties with different sectors of Cuban society.

One of the most symbolic moments of his journey was his visit to José Martí's grave in Santiago de Cuba, a gesture that added symbolic weight to his agenda amidst the growing discontent with the government.

This was complemented by meetings with activists, religious leaders, opposition members, family members of political prisoners, and everyday citizens, in which Hammer asserted that he had captured the popular sentiment and observed the mood of a significant portion of the Cuban people.

As his visits expanded, the official responses grew increasingly heated. The authorities publicly accused him of lying about the state of the country and promoting a narrative of the system's failure. However, instead of curbing his agenda, Hammer intensified it, causing noticeable anxiety among the state media, who expressed their concern over what they see as a deliberate strategy of internal political influence.

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