Related videos:
The Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer condemned this Sunday a new episode of harassment against the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer, and called on the Cuban people to express solidarity in a non-violent manner following a repudiation act that took place in Trinidad.
In a message posted on X, Ferrer urged Cubans to “paint hammers everywhere” as a symbolic gesture of support for the American diplomat:
"The U.S. Ambassador to Cuba, Mike Hammer, is a great friend, sincere and supportive. We cannot allow a few communist fanatics to offend him on the streets of Cuba," he wrote.
Ferrer assured that Hammer, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump, have shown an unusual support for the Cuban people, whom he described as "oppressed and in need," and urged to express support "in all non-violent ways possible."
Act of repudiation following a visit to the parish in Trinidad
The opposition leader's statement comes after a repudiation act was reported against Hammer as he was leaving the San Francisco de Paula Church in Trinidad, having visited Priest José Conrado Rodríguez.
According to a report by researcher and professor Yanetsy Pino on Facebook, the diplomat visited the parish this Saturday morning, and upon leaving the location, was confronted in public by at least five individuals.
Pino stated that the video of the incident was sent from Trinidad and that in the first few seconds, the "shouting" of those involved can be heard, in an episode he described as organized harassment.
Growing tension between the regime and the diplomat
Since the beginning of 2025, the relationship between the Cuban regime and Hammer has notably deteriorated. The diplomat has repeatedly denounced the constant surveillance by State Security during his travels across the country.
"We are being filmed constantly," Hammerdeclared from Miami, after which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) summoned him to accuse him of inciting citizens to commit crimes and threatening the constitutional order.
Tensions escalated in June when undercover agents staged another act of repudiation at La Lanchita in Regla while Hammer was heading to mass at the Church of Our Lady of Regla.
The incident was documented on video and later identified as an operation orchestrated by State Security.
Hammer downplayed the episode and reaffirmed his commitment to a "street diplomacy" focused on directly listening to Cubans, something that has provoked an increasingly aggressive reaction from the official propaganda apparatus.
Propaganda and ridicule in official media
Far from offering apologies, the regime intensified its media offensive. Outlets controlled by the Communist Party published cartoons and articles to ridicule the diplomat, portraying him as an "anti-communist at heart."
A cartoon published in Granma was interpreted as a reflection of the official hostility toward a direct and transparent diplomacy that escapes state control.
Filed under: