US-Cuba tensions escalate as State Department accuses Havana of intimidation
US accuses Cuba of intimidating diplomats (Photo: Getty Images)
The US has accused Cuba of intimidating and interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana, Mike Hammer, reports Reuters.
Amid rising tensions between the two countries, the US State Department said on social media that the Cuban government had engaged in a failed intimidation tactic and demanded that Havana stop sending individuals to interfere with the diplomatic work of the US Chargé d’Affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer.
Hammer, who arrived in Cuba at the end of 2024, has traveled extensively across the island and met with political dissidents and representatives of the Catholic Church. The Cuban government accuses him of trying to incite unrest on the island.
On Saturday, Hammer posted a video describing alleged harassment following a meeting with local church leaders.
“When I left the parish, a few communists, surely frustrated by how bad the revolution is going, shouted obscenities at me,” Hammer said.
What led up to this
At the beginning of 2026, relations between the US and Cuba deteriorated sharply. Amid the new crisis, US President Donald Trump approved a memorandum to tighten sanctions against the island.
Specifically, Cuba was relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism, and strict restrictions on financial operations with Cuban companies were reinstated.
In Havana, following threats from the White House, officials said they were not negotiating with the US government.
Additionally, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel strongly rejected Trump’s calls for a deal with Washington.
On January 30, Trump also declared a national emergency, citing a threat to US national security originating from Cuba. Havana responded, saying that the only real threat to peace, security, and stability in the region comes from US policies.
