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The head of the United States mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, met in Havana with independent journalist Camila Acosta and writer and former political prisoner Ángel Santiesteban to exchange opinions on the situation in the country and U.S. policy towards the Island.
According to Acosta's statements to Cubanet, the diplomat expressed interest in understanding the opinions of Cubans in the current conditions and how the reality of the country is projected abroad, with the aim of ensuring that "the world knows the truth" and the public's desire for change.
During the conversation, which lasted about an hour, Acosta shared with the U.S. official opinions she gathered from citizens, among which there was a noticeable increase in expectations regarding the country's freedom.
The communicator—who has often been a victim of repression and police surveillance for practicing her profession—described the meeting as an extended dialogue centered on the exchange of ideas.
Hammer's program includes meetings with various social actors, including independent journalists, activists, religious leaders, and citizens in several regions of the country.
Recently, the diplomat visited the Masonic Supreme Council (33°) of Cuba, where he discussed, among other matters, the potential support of that organization in the distribution of humanitarian aid, as well as inquiring about the history of Freemasonry on the Island.
He also held a meeting at the offices of the independent media outlet 14ymedio with its director, Yoani Sánchez, and its editor, Reinaldo Escobar, where they discussed the current situation in Cuba and the practice of independent journalism, which is continuously pursued and criminalized by the regime.
These activities of the diplomat have generated tensions with the Cuban government, which has attempted to prevent contacts with the population and independent organizations. In May 2025, the Foreign Ministry issued a verbal warning to Hammer, describing his behavior as "interventionist."
The support from civil society members, both inside and outside the Island, was swift. Many appreciated and highlighted the close relationship and empathy shown by the U.S. official towards the everyday Cuban since he arrived on the Island in 2023.
Similarly, the United States Department of State condemned violations of repudiation against Hammer during his tours across the interior of the Island. Actions like these, allegedly organized by the "people," have been a recurring practice of the Cuban regime to harass opponents, activists, and political adversaries for decades.
Since his arrival in Havana, the diplomat has engaged in a significant effort to defend freedoms, human rights, and the well-being of Cubans, meeting with everyone from farmers in a remote village to religious leaders, opposition leaders, activists, or ordinary passersby.
His face and charisma, with a good command of the Spanish language and naturalness in conversation, have become familiar to those who day by day long for a change on the Island, fractured by a multidimensional crisis that has lasted for decades.
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