US to Expel Cuban Diplomat After UN Confrontation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio completed the documents ordering Richard Tur de la Concepción’s removal, a first secretary at Cuba’s U.N. mission, after he was accused of shoving and trying to grab the phone of U.S. diplomat J.P. Freire. Waltz said Tur de la Concepción would be sent to Havana within 24 hours. The reports describe the expulsion as announced on October 27, 2026.

The incident followed a speech by Waltz at the General Assembly criticizing Cuba’s leadership. He displayed photographs of Fidel Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel wearing Rolex watches, and said the watches’ value illustrated the gap between the country’s elite and ordinary workers.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla approached the podium and called Waltz a liar. Waltz told him to back away and accused the Cuban delegation of trying to intimidate him. A separate exchange in the hall was recorded as Tur de la Concepción confronted Freire, who was filming.

Waltz described the episode on Fox News and said the U.S. administration would not accept an American diplomat being assaulted. Rodríguez Parrilla, in turn, accused Washington of using lies to defend its economic pressure on Cuba.

The confrontation came a day before a U.N. vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo on Cuba. The vote was scheduled for October 28; the reports say such resolutions have been brought annually for decades.

Expulsion Escalates US-Cuba Clash After UN Dispute

The Trump administration is turning a heated exchange at the United Nations into an expulsion, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized documents to send Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción back to Havana. The allegation is that he shoved and tried to take the phone of U.S. diplomat J.P. Freire; Waltz said the removal would happen within 24 hours.

The dispute erupted after Waltz used his General Assembly speech to attack Cuba’s leadership, displaying images of Fidel Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel wearing Rolex watches. Rodríguez Parrilla approached the podium and called Waltz a liar. Waltz demanded that he step back and accused the Cuban delegation of intimidation.

The U.S. ambassador says the administration will not tolerate an assault on an American diplomat. But expelling an official after a public diplomatic clash sharpens tensions as U.N. delegates get ready to vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Rodríguez Parrilla accused Washington of making false claims to justify its economic pressure.

The vote was scheduled for October 28. The confrontation has now made the competing arguments over Cuba and the embargo harder to separate from a show of force by the U.S. administration.

Rubio Moves to Expel Cuban Official After U.N. Clash

The United States is sending a clear response after Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción was accused of shoving and trying to seize the phone of U.S. diplomat J.P. Freire at the United Nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the paperwork, and Waltz said Tur de la Concepción would be on a flight to Havana within 24 hours.

The episode followed Waltz’s speech criticizing Cuba’s ruling elite. He showed photographs of Fidel Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel, who currently serves as president, wearing Rolex watches, arguing that the images exposed the divide between privileged leaders and ordinary Cubans. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla approached the podium and called Waltz a liar; Waltz told him to back away.

The allegation against Tur de la Concepción is serious, and Waltz said the U.S. would not stand for an American diplomat being assaulted. Rodríguez Parrilla accused Washington of lying to defend its pressure on Cuba, but that does not erase the reported confrontation with Freire.

The clash came just before the U.N. vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo, scheduled for October 28. The administration’s expulsion decision puts the focus on the conduct of Cuba’s delegation as that debate proceeds.