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The United States Ambassador to Cuba, Mike Hammer, shared a photograph taken in the municipality of Puerto Padre, in the province of Las Tunas, during his most recent tour of the eastern part of the country.
In the post shared by the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Hammer wrote: “With Abel, a coachman in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas. I really liked his cap. He has his son in Texas.”
In the image, the diplomat is seen alongside the Cuban worker, whose cap bears the initials USA, a detail that carries significant symbolic weight in the current context of tensions, where many Cubans view the actions of the United States government aimed at overthrowing the regime on the island with hope.
The photo comes after Hammer faced three recent acts of repudiation during his visits to various provinces, organized by the Cuban regime's apparatus.
Despite this, the diplomat has maintained his schedule of meetings with the public and his tours of the interior of the country.
The ambassador is seeking, as he has reiterated, to engage in conversation with everyday Cubans and to gain firsthand insight into the social and economic conditions on the island following years of crisis, shortages, and blackouts.
His presence in remote areas of Havana has caused discomfort within the regime, which is trying to prevent these direct contacts.
The publication is interpreted as a gesture of closeness and also as a sign of the U.S. government's willingness to maintain ties with Cuban civil society, despite the diplomatic tensions between Washington and Havana.
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