Ecuador expels Cuban diplomats from Quito embassy

Ecuador Expels Cuban Diplomats, Cuba Closes Embassy in Quito

The government of Ecuador has given Cuba’s diplomats 48 hours to leave the country without providing a reason for the expulsion. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded by criticizing the decision as unfair and denouncing it.

In a statement published on Friday, Minrex confirmed that the Quito embassy ceased operations at 10am local time (15:00 GMT). This marks an abrupt end to diplomatic relations between Cuba and Ecuador.

On Wednesday, President Daniel Noboa’s government issued a letter to the Cuban embassy stating that all Cuban diplomatic and consular personnel were persona non grata. The letter did not provide an explanation for the request.

Cuba has responded with outrage, despite ultimately complying with the demand. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticized Noboa’s government on social media, stating that the action damages historic relations between the two countries.

The move comes amid tensions between Ecuador and Cuba, as well as the United States. Trump has expressed a desire to see Cuba’s communist government fall, and has signaled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would lead efforts to transform the leadership on the island.

Ecuador and the US have recently announced a joint operation to combat cartels in Ecuador, part of a widening anti-drug campaign under Trump. Noboa is set to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate this weekend, along with other right-wing Latin American leaders.

The US has conducted air strikes on boats and maritime vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, accusing them of smuggling drugs. However, no public evidence has been produced to justify these actions.

Source: Al Jazeera