The head of mission at the Embassy of the United States in Cuba, Mike Hammer, visited the municipality of Regla in Havana this Sunday to present a gift to Gisela, the mother of a young Cuban who emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the Marine Corps. This gesture was dedicated by the diplomat to all Cuban mothers separated from their children due to the dictatorship.
"On Mother's Day, we went to Regla to visit Gisela, whose son Willie contacted me and shared his story of having expatriated to the U.S. and enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps to serve the country that welcomed him," wrote Hammer in the official Facebook post of the Embassy.
The diplomat emphasized that Willie, "like so many Cubans," cannot be with his mother due to the lack of freedom in Cuba, and described the pain of separated families as "extremely cruel," both for those forced into exile and for those who have loved ones imprisoned as political prisoners.
"My thoughts are with all Cuban and Cuban-American mothers," Hammer expressed, reaffirming the Embassy's commitment to continue working "so that one day soon they can be with their children and live with dignity and peace."
The visit is part of the style of direct diplomacy with ordinary Cubans that Hammer has practiced since his arrival in Cuba, with tours through communities, meetings with activists, independent journalists, and everyday citizens in various provinces. In April, for example, Hammer spoke with the family of Jonathan Muir, a teenager who was arbitrarily detained by the regime following the intense protests in Morón, Ciego de Ávila.
Willie's case reflects a reality that is repeated in thousands of Cuban families. Since 2021, Cuba has been experiencing one of its largest waves of emigration, driven by economic deterioration, blackouts, food shortages, and the repression that followed the protests on July 11 of that year. Many of those who left have not been able to return to see their mothers, fathers, or children.
To enlist in the Marine Corps, Cuban immigrants must possess legal permanent residency and proficiency in English, as well as reside in U.S. territory. Historically, thousands of Cuban-Americans have served in the U.S. armed forces since 1960, many motivated by gratitude towards the country that welcomed them and a rejection of the Castro regime.
Hammer has repeatedly conveyed messages of hope to the Cuban diaspora. In February, meeting with more than 100 Cubans in Madrid, he delivered the message from the Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio: "Change in Cuba will happen."
Days before this visit, Hammer had published a reflection regarding that Cubans are successful outside of Cuba, in line with his narrative about the potential of the Island's people being constrained by the political system that has governed them for 67 years.
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