Original article: Cuba vincula expulsión en Ecuador a presiones de EE.UU.: “no parece casual” a días de cumbre en Miami

Cuba Links Ecuador’s Diplomatic Expulsion to U.S. Pressures Ahead of Miami Summit: «Not a Coincidence»

The Ecuadorian government, led by President Daniel Noboa, has ordered the expulsion of all diplomatic, consular, and administrative staff from the Cuban Embassy in Quito. This decision, communicated on Wednesday afternoon through a verbal note from Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, has been labeled by Havana as an «unfriendly and unprecedented act.»

This measure includes declaring the Cuban ambassador, Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez García, as persona non grata and extends to all officials at the diplomatic mission, who have been given a strict 48-hour deadline to leave Ecuador. In fact, Ecuadorian military personnel appeared outside the Cuban embassy in Quito.

According to the Noboa administration, this decision is based on Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

«Exercising the powers granted by this provision, the Government of the Republic of Ecuador has decided to declare the Cuban ambassador in Ecuador, Mr. Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez García, and all members of the diplomatic, consular, and administrative staff of that Mission as persona non grata,» stated the note from Ecuadorian authorities.

Upon learning of the expulsion, the Cuban Foreign Ministry issued a press release expressing its strongest rejection to what it considers an arbitrary and unjustified action.

In the statement, it denounced that the expulsion occurred «without providing any arguments,» which, according to the island’s authorities, reflects a disregard for the diplomatic practices and courtesies that govern relations between nations.

The tension has manifested immediately on the streets of Quito, following the arrival of Ecuadorian military forces at the Cuban embassy.

Faced with this situation, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has addressed any potential questioning regarding the conduct of its officials in the South American country and reaffirmed categorically that «the staff of the Cuban Embassy in Quito, as established by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, has strictly adhered to the laws and regulations of Ecuador without interfering in the internal affairs of that State.»

«Not a Coincidence»

However, the statement presented a geopolitical analysis to explain the underlying reasons behind this arbitrary and unjustified measure. For Havana, this is not an isolated event, but rather a response to an international context marked by increased aggression from Washington towards the island.

The Foreign Ministry directly pointed to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump as being behind Noboa’s decision to cancel Cuba’s diplomatic mission in Ecuador.

«It does not seem coincidental that this decision was made in a context characterized by the intensification of U.S. aggression against Cuba and the strong pressures from that government on third states to join that policy, just days before the summit convened in Miami on March 7, with a small group of government representatives from the region,» stated the communiqué.

The meeting called by Trump, which is set to gather right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean, will take place this Saturday, March 7, at a hotel owned by the Republican magnate in the city of Doral, located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

In addition to Noboa, invitations have also been extended to the presidents of Javier Milei (Argentina); Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia); Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica); Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic); Daniel Noboa (Ecuador); Nayib Bukele (El Salvador); Mohamed Irfaan (Guyana); Nasry Asfura (Honduras); José Mulino (Panama); Santiago Peña (Paraguay) and Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Trinidad and Tobago). The elected president of Chile, José Antonio Kast, will also participate.

Amid this diplomatic escalation that has shattered decades of historic friendship and cooperation, the Cuban government appealed to the memory and feelings of the Ecuadorian people.

Havana expressed its conviction that the bonds of solidarity and brotherhood that unite both nations transcend the decisions made by Noboa’s administration.

«Cuba is convinced that the Ecuadorian people will know how to defend the ties of solidarity and brotherhood with Cuba,» concluded the communiqué.