The ambassador of Cuba in the Dominican Republic, Ángel Arzuaga Reyes, downplayed the Dominican government's decision to request the withdrawal of nine officials from the Cuban diplomatic mission in Santo Domingo, framing the crisis as yet another test of the island's resilience.
Far from acknowledging the seriousness of the episode, Arzuaga intervened on the same day the crisis erupted—August 13—at a cultural gala held at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) to commemorate the centenary of Fidel Castro's birth, where he delivered a combative speech that overlooked the magnitude of the diplomatic measure.
"The more difficult the circumstances, the more we unite. The more difficult the circumstances, the more we fight. The more difficult the circumstances, the more we will be on the front lines defending peace, unity, friendship, and the internationalism of the peoples of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world," the official stated before the university audience.
In that same act, Arzuaga referred to what he described as an "energy blockade" imposed on Cuba since January 29, 2026, the U.S. embargo, and a supposed "threat of imminent military aggression" against the Cuban people, echoing the usual rhetoric of the Havana regime without directly addressing the expulsion.
The Dominican chancellery had formally notified the Cuban embassy that nine of its officials —along with their family members, a total of about 21 people— had to leave the country within seven days, that is, before Sunday, August 16.
The measure was based on Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which allows for the request for the withdrawal of a diplomat without publicly explaining the reasons.
However, alleged intelligence activities by the Cuban state conducted under diplomatic cover are believed to be the real reason for the decision.
Sources clarified that the affected individuals were not formally declared persona non grata; instead, Santo Domingo acted through diplomatic channels.
The Cuban regime, through Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, rejected the measure "in the strongest terms" and attributed it to pressures from Washington on the government of President Luis Abinader, denying any irregular conduct by its officials.
Abinader's stance towards Havana had been hardening for months: in May 2026, he publicly declared that Cuba "is not a democratic state" and that the regime needed to "make a change."
Dominican sources also dismissed any connection between the expulsion and the four Cuban athletes who remained in the country after the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, labeling the coincidence as "merely chronological."
Despite the crisis, the Cuban embassy will continue to operate in Santo Domingo with the rest of its accredited staff, and this measure does not imply a break in diplomatic relations between the two countries, as confirmed by Dominican diplomatic sources.
The American congressman Carlos Giménez celebrated the expulsion on social media with the phrase "Cuba's freedom is not negotiable," thanking the Dominican government for "staying firmly on the right side of history."
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