Bruno Rodríguez reiterates to Tillerson that the expulsion of Cuban diplomats was "unjustified"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, reaffirmed to the Secretary of State of the United States, Rex Tillerson, that the decision of the North American government to withdraw two Cuban diplomats from Washington was "unjustified."

This was stated by the Cuban Foreign Minister this Tuesday during the meeting he held in Washington with the White House representative.

The Government of Cuba, for its part, recalled through a statement published on the Minrex website, which "has never perpetrated nor will perpetrate attacks of any nature against diplomats."

In this sense, Rodríguez explained to his American counterpart that it would be regrettable if "hasty decisions unsupported by evidence and conclusive investigative results" are made due to the alleged incidents that injured Washington diplomats in Havana.

In fact, in the aforementioned note, the executive of the largest of the Antilles stated that "it has not nor will it allow its territory to be used by third parties for this purpose."

The expulsion of diplomats from the Island

The United States expelled two Cuban diplomats stationed in Washington this year for the alleged incidents, which it says caused symptoms ranging from hearing loss to nausea in US personnel accredited on the island, although has not directly blamed Cuba who denies responsibility for the events.

"The Chancellor assured him that the investigation to clarify this matter is still ongoing," said the aforementioned note.

"Cuba has great interest in concluding it, for which it is essential to have the efficient cooperation of the US authorities," he added.

The closure of the embassy in Havana in the background

The meeting took place 10 days after Tillerson said his country evaluates the closure of the Washington embassy in Havana, in response to the alleged incidents.

In a speech last week at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Rodríguez urged Washington not to politicize the issue and to cooperate with the investigation.

The United States will soon announce new restrictions on trade and travel to Cuba after the speech given by President Donald Trump in June, in actions that mark a partial setback in the reestablishment of ties after the rapprochement initiated by former president Barack Obama.

(with information from Reuters)