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The recent reaction of the Cuban regime to the immigration restrictions announced by the United States government has sparked a wave of criticism and highlighted the deep hypocrisy of the official discourse.
In that regard, the MINREX official, Johana Tablada de la Torre –the Deputy Director General for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs– resorted to irony when referring to the new restrictions.
“When does the ‘nice conversation’ about visa cancellations for almost all Cubans begin?” she wrote on social media, referring to a recent remark by the American diplomat Mike Hammer, who expressed hope for “a nice conversation” with Cubans during his travels in Havana.
Although he didn't mention it directly, the post is understood as a veiled criticism of Hammer, with whom Tablada de la Torre has maintained a constant confrontation since his arrival on the island.
For his part, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla expressed "concern" over the impact on the rights of Cubans, deliberately omitting the central role that the regime itself has played in decades of repression, censorship, and control over the freedom of movement of its citizens.
The recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which imposed immigration restrictions on citizens from several countries, including Cuba, cited national security risks and a lack of cooperation on immigration matters. Following the announcement, Cuban authorities responded with aggressive rhetoric, labeling the measure as "racist" and accusing Washington of separating Cuban families.
But the outrage of the Cuban government seems cynical, considering its history. Since 1959, the regime has used migration as a political weapon, pressuring the United States through massive migratory waves – such as the Mariel boatlift in 1980 or the rafters' crisis in 1994 – while internally punishing those who tried to escape.
Thousands of Cubans have been persecuted, imprisoned, or stigmatized for their desire to emigrate, and those who manage to leave are often used as tools of emotional and economic blackmail through the control over their families who remain on the island.
While lamenting on social media that "from one day to the next they will no longer be able to visit or emigrate to the United States," the diplomat Tablada de la Torre seemed to forget that for decades it was the very regime she represents that imposed the infamous "exit permit" or "white card," which restricted departure from the country for ideological or political reasons.
The supposed defense of "family contact" stands in stark contrast to a systematic practice of family separation induced by those in power. While the regime talks endlessly about sovereignty and rights, it prohibits the return of dissidents, monitors those who come back from visits, and represses students or workers suspected of having possible "relations with the enemy."
Citizen criticisms on social media have not taken long to appear. Many reminded the chancellor that “since when do they care about the Cuban family,” and that the regime is primarily responsible for the exodus of more than half a million Cubans in 2024, according to independent estimates.
Behind the official discourse, the true objective was revealed: to maintain the flow of dollars from the exile community and project a false image of international victimhood, while perpetuating repression within the island.
The regime's resentment towards Mike Hammer
Since his arrival in Havana in November 2024 as the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission, Hammer has been the target of a harassment campaign by the Cuban regime, led from the foreign ministry by Tablada de la Torre.
The official has accused Hammer of promoting internal destabilization in Cuba, lying about the country's situation, and violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Tablada de la Torre has described the diplomat as interventionist for meeting with members of Cuban civil society, stating that his actions are part of an "agenda of aggression and interference" against the Cuban constitutional order.
He even publicly warned Hammer that "no one should confuse the patience Cuba has shown in the face of these kinds of acts with weakness," in a veiled threat broadcast on state media.
The regime has intensified its media and diplomatic attacks against Hammer, accusing him of inciting Cuban citizens to commit serious crimes and act against the constitutional order.
These actions reflect increasing concern regarding the direct and open diplomacy strategy that the U.S. official has implemented since his arrival on the island.
Despite the criticism and accusations, Hammer has continued with his agenda on the island, reiterating his interest in directly listening to the Cuban people and strengthening the ties between both countries from the grassroots.
The U.S. State Department has defended the diplomat, stating that his work is legitimate and falls within international law, reiterating its commitment to human rights and the Cuban civil society.
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