By Sohaib Shams
Cuba on Friday welcomed home diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción, who was expelled by the United States following a heated confrontation at the United Nations earlier this week.
Confrontation at the General Assembly
The incident occurred Tuesday during a General Assembly session on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. U.S. officials accused Tur of shoving an American diplomat and attempting to snatch a phone used to record the encounter. The altercation escalated into a shouting match between U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.
Cuba's Response
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Peñalver posted a photo on X showing Tur alongside ministry officials holding a Cuban flag at Havana's airport. Peñalver said Tur had "firmly and with dignity confronted the disrespectful and provocative behavior" of the U.S. delegation, accusing U.S. officials of trying to disrupt a vote on a resolution condemning the embargo and undermine Tur's candidacy for a UN body position.
Escalating Tensions
Tensions between the two countries have deepened since President Donald Trump imposed an energy blockade on Cuba in January aimed at forcing political changes. Washington has also threatened military action against the Caribbean nation.
UN Vote on Embargo
The General Assembly approved Cuba's annual nonbinding resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo on Wednesday by a vote of 130 in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions.
