DR Expels Cuban Officials
Dominican Republic Expels Nine Cuban Diplomats, Escalating Geopolitical Tensions with Cuba
The Dominican Republic has expelled nine Cuban diplomatic officials and their families, giving no public explanation for the move, according to AP News. Cuba fired back hard, calling it "an act of submission" to U.S. policies designed to pressure Havana through financial and energy restrictions.
The expulsion has drawn sharp attention across the Caribbean and Latin America. It comes as Washington's influence in the region grows stronger under a new geopolitical grouping called the "Shield of the Americas," which notably excludes Cuba, Newsday reported.
Dominican Republic Boots Nine Cuban Officials With No Explanation
The Dominican Republic's foreign ministry confirmed the expulsion but offered no reasons, according to KDH News. Nine Cuban diplomats and their family members were told to leave. It is rare for a country to expel this many officials at once without stating a cause.
Cuba's government did not stay quiet. Havana described the move as political submission to U.S. pressure. Cuba has long faced U.S. sanctions that restrict its energy supplies and cut off financial ties, according to Yahoo News.
Cuba Blames U.S. Blockade Pressure for the Expulsion
Cuba framed the Dominican Republic's decision as a direct result of Washington's campaign against Havana. The U.S. has maintained a decades-long embargo on Cuba. That embargo restricts trade, limits energy imports, and blocks most international financial transactions with the island.
The expulsion lines up with what critics say is growing U.S. pressure on Caribbean and Latin American nations to distance themselves from Cuba, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Cuba called this a coordinated effort to isolate the island further.
'Shield of the Americas' Reshapes Regional Alliances Against Cuba
The backdrop to this dispute is a new regional initiative called the "Shield of the Americas," launched under U.S. President Donald Trump. The grouping brings together countries aligned with Washington. Cuba was deliberately left out due to ongoing political tensions with the U.S., according to AP News.
The initiative appears to be pulling Caribbean nations closer to Washington and further from Havana. The Dominican Republic's move fits that pattern, even if officials in Santo Domingo have not said so openly.
Dominican Critics Demand Answers From Their Own Government
The expulsion did not go over smoothly at home either. Miguel Mejía, the Dominican Republic's former Minister for Regional Integration Policies, called the decision extreme. He demanded that the government explain its reasoning to the public, according to Newsday.
Mejía's criticism signals that the expulsion is politically sensitive inside the Dominican Republic itself. With no official explanation given, pressure is mounting on the government to come clean about what drove the decision to remove nine Cuban officials at once.
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