U.S. Accuses Cuba of Harassment After Protesters Confront Top Diplomat

By Dave Sherwood

HAVANA, Feb 1 (Reuters) – The United States issued a sharp rebuke to Cuba on Sunday, alleging the government orchestrated harassment of its top diplomat in Havana. The accusation follows incidents where U.S. Charge d'Affaires Mike Hammer was confronted and jeered by small groups during outreach meetings outside the capital.

The State Department, in a social media statement, condemned what it called "failed intimidation tactics" by Cuban authorities and demanded an immediate end to the interference with Hammer's diplomatic duties. The public dressing-down marks a new low in a relationship that has grown increasingly strained in recent weeks.

The friction stems from President Donald Trump's recent declaration labeling Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security. His accompanying threat to impose tariffs on nations supplying oil to the island has further squeezed Havana, which is grappling with a severe economic crisis. Despite calling Cuba "a failing nation" on Sunday, Trump hinted at a potential deal, stating, "I think we're going to make a deal with Cuba."

Hammer, a career diplomat who assumed his post in late 2024, has pursued an active schedule of engagements across the island, meeting with dissident figures, Catholic Church leaders, and local communities. The Cuban government has repeatedly accused him of seeking to foment unrest, a charge the U.S. Embassy vehemently denies.

The latest flashpoint occurred after Hammer met with local church leaders. In a video posted online Saturday, he described being followed and shouted at by "a few communists, surely frustrated by how bad the revolution is going." Subsequent videos, circulated by the U.S. Embassy, appear to show small crowds chanting "Assassin!" and "Imperialist!" at the diplomat during nighttime blackouts in two towns. Reuters could not independently verify the identities of the individuals in the videos, and the Cuban government has not commented on the specific incidents.

The confrontation is not an isolated event. Last year, Cuba's foreign ministry filed a formal complaint against Hammer, alleging "interventionist" behavior and incitement. Analysts view the current spat as symptomatic of a deeper conflict, intensified by Cuba's domestic struggles and the Trump administration's maximum-pressure campaign. The two nations have been locked in a diplomatic stalemate since the 1959 revolution, but current pressures are bringing longstanding grievances to the fore.

Reaction & Analysis:

"This is a calculated provocation by Havana," says Dr. Elena Marquez, a Latin America policy fellow at the Atlantic Council. "They are using these staged protests to signal their displeasure with Hammer's outreach, which they see as a direct challenge to state control. It's a risky game that further isolates them."

"Washington's hypocrisy is breathtaking," counters Carlos Ruiz, a historian at the University of Havana. "For decades, the U.S. has funded opposition groups here while enforcing a brutal embargo. When a diplomat actively meets with those seeking to undermine the government, what does Washington expect? This isn't diplomacy; it's subversion."

"It makes me furious," says Maya Chen, a Cuban-American business owner in Miami. "My family still on the island suffers every day because of the regime. Hammer is trying to give voice to regular people, and thugs are sent to silence him. The U.S. needs to get tougher, not just issue statements."

"Both sides are playing to their domestic audiences," observes James Foley, a former State Department official. "Trump gets to look tough on a historical foe, and the Cuban government rallies nationalist sentiment against a foreign bogeyman. Meanwhile, the Cuban people, caught in the middle, pay the price."

(Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Palm Beach, Florida; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)