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The head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, met this Friday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House to discuss the political and economic situation on the island, amid increasing pressures on the Havana regime.
The U.S. Embassy in Havana confirmed the meeting through its official account on X (@USEmbCuba), highlighting the American government's support for the Cuban people, especially following the intervention in Venezuela.
"Our mission chief, Mike Hammer, met today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his office at the White House to discuss the situation in Cuba and our strong support for the everyday Cuban," the embassy published.
The post was accompanied by a photograph in which both officials appear smiling, making with their hands the symbol of freedom used by Cuban activists and opponents.
The gesture quickly went viral on social media and has been interpreted as a political signal of support for dissent within the island.
The meeting is part of a new phase of policy coordination towards Cuba, focused on increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel, and support for civil society.
The secretary Rubio would have insisted on the need to "maintain international pressure until the Cuban people can live in freedom and without fear."
The Trump administration, with Marco Rubio leading the diplomacy, maintains a hardline stance towards the Cuban government, intensifying financial sanctions and political isolation following the breakdown of the Caracas-Havana axis, weakened by Nicolás Maduro's downfall and the collapse of Venezuelan oil supplies to the island.
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