The American diplomat Mike Hammer met this Sunday with "ordinary Cubans" in Ciego de Ávila after the acts of repudiation that the regime has organized against him this weekend.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba released a video showing Hammer interacting with two families in Ciego de Ávila who invite him to their home.
One of the residents of Avila identifies as a nurse by profession, husband to a teacher, and father to a little girl.
The man joyfully welcomes Hammer into his home and expresses that the “change is imperative” while mentioning that he “owes him coffee” due to the lack of electricity.
"It’s a privilege, we feel excited," another Cuban parent tells Hammer after welcoming him into their home.
"Our Mission Chief Mike Hammer visited Ciego de Avila and met with everyday Cubans who had contacted us by sending emails to: havanapublicaffairs@state.gov. If you want us to visit you, send us your phone number and we will get in touch when we are in your province," reads the text accompanying the video from the Embassy.
Three acts of repudiation
Tensions between Havana and Washington escalated again this weekend following a series of acts of repudiation against the United States ambassador to Cuba, Mike Hammer, organized by regime structures in less than 24 hours.
According to reports from journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, the third and most recent incident occurred this Sunday in Camagüey, where a mob mobilized by the regime harassed the diplomat upon his arrival in the city.
In a broadcast video, Dayanny Francés, identified by Tan as a member of the UJC Provincial, can be heard leading the insults and chants against Hammer.
"Internal sources from various PCC groups in Camagüey have sent me this video of another act of repudiation that took place this morning against the U.S. ambassador," said Tan, who later confirmed Francés' identity on social media.
This new episode adds to two others previously recorded in Trinidad and in Camagüey itself during the night on Saturday.
In the first one, that took place in Trinidad, the diplomat was confronted by a small group of people as he left the San Francisco de Paula Church, after meeting with the priest and activist José Conrado Rodríguez.
According to a report on Facebook by professor and researcher Yanetsy Pino, five people shouted and insulted the ambassador in broad daylight, describing it as an act of repudiation.
"The video of the incident was sent to me from Trinidad; in the initial seconds, you can hear the shouts of those who were involved," he recounted.
Hours later, on Saturday night, a second act of repudiation took place at the Santa María Hotel, in Plaza del Gallo in Camagüey, a site associated with the Office of the Historian of the City.
According to various reports, a mob organized by local authorities awaited the diplomat upon his arrival from Ciego de Ávila, amid a widespread blackout that left the historic center completely dark.
During the harassment, the protesters hurled insults such as "Donald Trump's puppet," "imperialist," "murderer," "out of Camagüey," and "down with the blockade," in a tense atmosphere monitored by plainclothes security agents.
The images, shared by several witnesses, show the presence of mobilized youths and political slogans identical to those used in events organized in previous decades against dissidents, journalists, and foreign diplomats.
In light of the escalating hostility, the government of the United States demanded that the Cuban regime cease its aggressions and interference in the diplomatic work of Ambassador Hammer.
The U.S. Government's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs emphasized in a statement published on X: “the illegitimate Cuban regime must immediately cease its repressive acts of sending individuals to interfere with the diplomatic work of Chargé d'Affaires Hammer and the members of the Embassy team.”
"Our diplomats will continue to meet with the Cuban people, despite the regime's failed intimidation tactics," he added.
Hammer himself had stated on Saturday that “some have shouted insults, but they do not represent the average Cuban people,” and reaffirmed his decision to continue his tours across the country to “meet more Cubans and discuss their aspirations for a better Cuba.”
The three acts of repudiation in less than 24 hours mark an unprecedented escalation in the harassment actions of the Cuban regime against a U.S. diplomatic representative, at a time of increasing international pressure and sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump on Miguel Díaz-Canel's dictatorship.
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