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The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau published a photograph yesterday on his X account of a decorative plaque with the inscription "YOU COME AND YOU GO!", placed on a shelf of books about diplomacy. He explained that the expression comes from a phone call in 2002 between former Mexican President Vicente Fox and Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
In the post, Landau described the phrase as "one of my favorites in the Spanish language" and recounted its origin: Fox told Castro that he was welcome at an international forum in Mexico, but he had to leave after lunch. You come, give your speech, sit next to me, eat, and leave, and by the afternoon you're back in Cuba," was the request from the Mexican president.
The episode took place during the UN International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey from March 18 to 22, 2002, with more than fifty heads of state in attendance.
Fox, as host, was dealing with the delicate situation of managing the simultaneous presence of Castro and then U.S. President George W. Bush, and was trying to avoid a diplomatic clash between the two.
Castro recorded the call without informing Fox, and on April 24, 2002, he held a press conference in Havana where he played the full recording in front of journalists, triggering an international scandal that strained relations between Mexico and Cuba for years.
The consequences of the incident were profound: the bilateral trade between Mexico and Cuba fell by 75% during Fox's administration, Cuba accumulated a debt of over 400 million dollars with Mexico, and in 2004, Fox expelled the Cuban ambassador Jorge Bolaños, resulting in a reciprocal response from Castro's regime.
The phrase transcended its original context and became a cultural and political reference in Mexico. In 2021, a Mexican senator reused it to reject the visit of the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel to the country.
Landau added in his post that the phrase is helpful in his day-to-day life: "This phrase is very useful when you don't want a work lunch to consume half your day."
The gesture of the Deputy Secretary of State is not coincidental. Landau, a Spanish speaker born in Madrid and former U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021, has a consistent record of critical statements regarding the Cuban regime.
In August 2025, on the occasion of the 99th anniversary of Castro's birth, it was published that those who defend the myths about the dictatorship are deliberately delusional.
In January of this year, he stated that the Castro-communist regime is teetering, it will not last much longer," quoting President Donald Trump, and added that "after 67 years of a failed revolution that has betrayed the Cuban people, it is time for the change that the people on the island aspire to."
By recalling the episode in which Fox treated Castro as an unwanted guest, Landau sends a signal that aligns with the maximum pressure stance that the Trump administration maintains toward Havana.
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