admin
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered a Cuban diplomat expelled after a physical confrontation on the General Assembly floor. The diplomat — identified in media reporting as Richard Tur de la Concepción of Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the U.N. — is reportedly being put on a plane back to Havana. Waltz’s TV interview announced the action; the formal State Department paperwork has not yet been publicly posted, so journalists are still confirming the final details.
What happened at the U.N. and who got in the way
The fight started during the annual vote on Cuba’s non‑binding resolution about the U.S. embargo. Ambassador Waltz used pictures to show how Cuba’s ruling class lives in luxury while ordinary Cubans suffer. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and his delegation loudly objected. Video shows a Cuban mission member moving toward and trying to take the phone of Waltz’s aide as the scene was being recorded. It was chaotic. Desk bangs, shouting, and a very public meltdown from the Cuban side — all on the General Assembly floor where civility is supposed to be the rule.
“He’s gone,” Waltz said — and Rubio supposedly signed the papers
On national television, Waltz declared that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “signed the documents” to expel the Cuban official and that the diplomat would be on a plane within 24 hours. Let’s be clear: that claim came from Waltz’s on-air interview and has been widely reported. It’s strong medicine if true — but responsible reporting still notes there was no immediate, posted State Department press release naming the expelled official at the time of those reports. So yes, celebrate decisive action if you like, but don’t confuse a TV statement for the final bureaucratic stamp until the State Department posts the notice.
Why the move matters — and why it’s not just theater
Expelling an accredited U.N. diplomat is not common, and it sends a clear message. The U.S. has used persona non grata declarations before when diplomats cross lines. This incident is about more than a phone and a loud argument; it’s about who gets to speak freely on American soil and whether rogues at the U.N. can physically intimidate our people. The Cuban regime’s tantrum on the world stage only highlighted why the U.S. needs to stand firm. If Rubio did sign the paperwork, it shows the current administration is willing to back its diplomats — and to hold communist thugs accountable.
Make no mistake: this is a win for plain common sense. Whether the expelled diplomat’s departure is confirmed by a posted State Department statement or flight records, the episode exposed the Cuban regime’s ugly priorities and rewarded American firmness. If the Department follows through publicly, call it a textbook use of diplomatic power. If not, don’t be surprised to see the White House and Waltz keep the pressure on until the paperwork is in the open. Diplomacy needs muscle sometimes — and the U.S. just reminded the world it still has it.
