A Cuban diplomat was expelled from the US a day after a shouting match with American officials erupted at the UN

A Cuban diplomat was expelled from the United States on Wednesday, a day after a heated session at the United Nations descended into a shouting match between American and Cuban officials. The tense confrontation took place on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly Hall during a session focused on the long-standing US economic embargo against Cuba.

According to CNN, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated that the Trump administration is removing a member of the Cuban delegation from the country. He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “signed the paperwork to eject the Cuban diplomat, the first secretary of their delegation,” and that the diplomat was “going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours.” The Wall Street Journal identified the diplomat as Richard Tur de la Concepción.

The conflict started when Waltz took the podium and criticized the Cuban government. WSJ reported that Waltz accused the late leader Fidel Castro of sending thousands of people to concentration camps. In response, members of the Cuban delegation began pounding their desks and shouting for a point of order. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla then moved toward the rostrum, leading to a loud exchange where both men shouted over one another.

There were two separate altercations

CNN reported that Waltz yelled at the foreign minister during the heated shouting match at the UN, saying, “This individual needs to back away from this podium. He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America like he tries to intimidate political prisoners. I’m the representative of the United States of America. Back up!” During the confrontations, the Cuban delegation could also be heard yelling and calling Waltz a liar.

WSJ reported that Tur de la Concepción was involved in a separate altercation in the hall around the same time. In a video shared by Waltz on X, the diplomat can be seen hitting a phone that was recording him while saying his personal space was being violated.

In his post, Waltz wrote that one of the Cuban regime’s ‘diplomats’ had tried to intimidate UN staff into cutting the American microphones during his speech, then tried to intimidate the American diplomat who noticed. According to CNN, the Cuban Mission to the UN sent a letter to the Secretary-General, writing that a US diplomat had invaded the personal space of their official to film him with the intent of damaging his reputation.

Per the WSJ, a State Department spokesperson stated, “We have made clear to the Cuba Mission that this individual is not welcome in the United States, and as a result this individual has left.” The spokesperson further described the actions of the Cuban regime as intimidation and oppression. 

The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on the Cuban government, and CNN noted that President Trump has even hinted at the possibility of ousting the leadership in Havana. Per CNN, Trump recently told a rally crowd, “We’ll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran.” Secretary of State Rubio also took to X, writing, “To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba, now is the time.”

CNN reported that the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn the US embargo against Cuba, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions. Waltz cited physical intimidation as the reason for Tur de la Concepción’s expulsion, stating, “You lay a hand on an American here in the United States, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and myself, we’re not going to stand for it. There will be consequences.”