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The end of the diplomatic mission of the Cuban ambassador Carlos Rafael Zamora Rodríguez, known as “El Gallo,” comes amid rising accusations of political interference and intelligence, which have been causing tension between Lima and Havana for months. The announcement made by the Andean Foreign Ministry last Friday has received widespread support from congress members, former intelligence chiefs, and analysts, who called the measure “healthy” and necessary to safeguard national sovereignty.
According to the newspaper El Comercio, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the diplomat to review the activities carried out during his tenure, which began in 2021 under the government of Pedro Castillo, and after that meeting, announced the conclusion of his duties "definitively."
Zamora had been a controversial figure since his arrival, labeled as an operator of the Cuban regime and an alleged intelligence agent with a long history in Latin America.
Congressman José Cueto, president of the Parliamentary Intelligence Commission, welcomed the decision and stated that there was a "clamor within the Armed Forces and the police" for the ambassador to be expelled from the country.
"It was known throughout the intelligence community that there were various forms of interference by this gentleman, who came in with Castillo's government," he stated to the Peruvian media.
In the same vein, legislator Alejandro Muñante described the outcome as “completely healthy” and linked it to a policy of defending national sovereignty against external influences.
Other former intelligence chiefs consulted by El Comercio agreed that the decision of the Peruvian executive is a result of a behavior pattern of the Cuban diplomatic service, described as an "extension of the intelligence apparatus" of Havana.
Juan Carlos Liendo, former head of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINI), stated that Zamora had "a history of political activism at the regional level" and that his departure "aligns with the need to ensure a free and legitimate electoral process in Peru."
For his part, the former head of the DINI, Danilo Guevara, recalled that the ambassador is "a well-known figure" in the intelligence community due to his ties with the Cuban G2, and emphasized that his retirement demonstrates that Peruvian institutions "fulfilled their duty to protect national security."
For its part, Diario Correo also reported statements from the Cuban opposition leader Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, leader of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, who claimed from Miami that “El Gallo” Zamora was behind the violent protests against President Dina Boluarte in 2022 and 2023, following the downfall of Pedro Castillo.
Gutiérrez stated that the ambassador played a "political and intelligence role" aimed at "promoting chaos and agitation" in the Andean country.
According to the activist, Zamora was not an ordinary diplomat, but "an individual of the highest level in the Cuban regime's intelligence apparatus," with a background in Panama, Bolivia, and at the UN, key positions in Castro's espionage network.
According to Diario Viral, Zamora joined the Cuban intelligence apparatus in 1968 and has been identified by former agents as a colonel in G2, alongside his wife, Maura Juampere Pérez.
In August of last year, the Naval Union of Peru, composed of former naval officers, had requested his expulsion, deeming him a “risk to national security”, denouncing his alleged training under the KGB and his role in the ideological expansion of Castroism in the region.
The departure of the Cuban ambassador comes at a time of heightened diplomatic tension, following the granting of safe conduct to former Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, who is seeking asylum at the Mexican embassy, a move that has rekindled regional frictions.
So far, the Cuban government has not issued any comments regarding Zamora's withdrawal, a silence that many in Lima interpret as a sign of caution following an episode that has once again brought the influence of the Havana regime under scrutiny in Latin America.
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