Cuba Welcomes Diplomat Expelled After UN Confrontation
Cuban officials welcomed Richard Tur de la Concepcion home on October 30, days after the United States expelled the first secretary of Cuba’s U.N. mission following a confrontation during a General Assembly session in New York. Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Penalver shared a photo of Tur at Havana’s airport with officials holding a Cuban flag and praised his conduct toward the U.S. delegation.
U.S. authorities alleged that Tur pushed a diplomat from the United States and attempted to grab the phone the person was using to film their encounter on Tuesday. The episode led to a heated verbal clash involving U.S. envoy to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Cuba’s top diplomat, Bruno Rodriguez. Havana maintained that Tur was reacting to an intrusion into his personal space.
Waltz announced Tur’s expulsion, which the U.S. State Department later confirmed. Penalver said the U.S. delegation had sought to disrupt a vote on Cuba’s resolution opposing the U.S. embargo and Tur’s candidacy for a U.N. position. Tur thanked Cuban officials for welcoming him and said Cuba would prevail over what he called “Yankee arrogance.”
The General Assembly approved Cuba’s nonbinding resolution on October 28 by 130 votes to 17, with 25 abstentions. The annual proposal urges an end to the U.S. embargo. The confrontation unfolded amid heightened tensions after President Donald Trump began restricting energy supplies to Cuba in January, seeking changes to the island’s government and political system.
U.S. Expels Cuban Diplomat Amid UN Vote on Embargo
Washington’s expulsion of Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepcion came amid a U.N. confrontation over Cuba’s annual resolution opposing the U.S. embargo. Havana welcomed Tur home on October 30, while Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Penalver accused the U.S. delegation of trying to disrupt the vote and undermine Tur’s candidacy for a U.N. position.
American authorities alleged that Tur pushed a U.S. diplomat and attempted to grab the person’s phone during a General Assembly session. Havana maintained that Tur was reacting to an intrusion into his personal space. The dispute then erupted into a shouting exchange between U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.
The General Assembly passed Cuba’s nonbinding resolution on October 28, with 130 votes in favor, 17 opposed and 25 abstentions. The yearly ballot seeks to end the U.S. embargo. The episode unfolded as tensions deepened after President Donald Trump began restricting energy supplies to Cuba in January to press for changes to its government and political system.
U.S. officials announced and confirmed Tur’s expulsion. Penalver praised the diplomat’s response to what he called provocative conduct by the U.S. delegation, and Tur thanked officials for receiving him in Havana. The two governments’ sharply different accounts underscore how the confrontation became part of the wider dispute over U.S. pressure on Cuba.
Cuba Celebrates Diplomat Expelled After U.N. Phone Confrontation
Cuba turned the return of diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepcion into a public show of defiance after the United States expelled him over a confrontation at the United Nations. Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Penalver welcomed Tur in Havana on October 30 and blamed the U.S. delegation, while U.S. officials alleged that Tur pushed a U.S. diplomat and tried to take his phone.
The incident occurred during a General Assembly session on Cuba’s resolution opposing the U.S. embargo. Havana maintained that Tur was reacting to an intrusion into his personal space. The encounter was followed by a shouting exchange between U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.
The General Assembly approved the nonbinding resolution on October 28, with 130 votes in favor, 17 opposed and 25 abstentions. The yearly proposal seeks to end the U.S. embargo. Penalver accused U.S. officials of trying to obstruct the vote and Tur’s candidacy for a U.N. position, while Tur thanked Cuban officials and said the island would prevail over what he called “Yankee arrogance.”
The episode comes as tensions have risen since President Donald Trump began restricting energy supplies to Cuba in January, seeking changes to the island’s government and political system. Washington confirmed Tur’s expulsion; Havana’s celebratory welcome instead cast the diplomat as a defender against U.S. pressure.
Reported by Local 10 Miami, ClickOnDetroit WDIV, Breitbart.
