Embassy of Cuba, Washington, D.C.

Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Cuba in 2023
Location	2630 16th Street NW Washington, D.C. United States
Coordinates	38.9242°N 77.037°W / 38.9242; -77.037
Ambassador	H.E. Lianys Torres Rivera (since 2020)

The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Cuba to the United States of America. It is located at 2630 16th Street Northwest, in the Meridian Hill neighborhood.^[1] The building was originally constructed in 1917 as the Cuban embassy,^[2] and served in that capacity until the United States severed relations with Cuba in 1961.^[3] On July 1, 2015, US President Barack Obama announced the formal restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.^[4] The building resumed its role as the Cuban Embassy on July 20, 2015.^[5]

History

From 1977 to 2015, the former Cuban Embassy housed the Cuban Interests Section in the United States. The interests section was staffed by Cubans and operated independently, but it was formally a section of the protecting power's embassy. From 1977 to 1991, it operated as the Cuba Interests Section of the Czechoslovak Embassy to the United States. In 1991, the post-Communist government of Czechoslovakia refused to continue its sponsorship of Cuba. From 1991 to 2015, the Cuban Interests Section operated under the Swiss Embassy,^[6] until diplomatic relations were re-established and the building resumed its role as the Cuban embassy.

On May 19, 1979, Omega 7 detonated a bomb in the building,^[7] which did more damage to the Lithuanian legation next door.^[8]

On April 30, 2020, a gunman opened fire at the building with an AK-47 style rifle. No one was injured, and the gunman, a 42-year-old man from Aubrey, Texas, was arrested.^[9] Though the gunman's motivation was not officially known, a police report called it a "suspected hate crime".^[10]

Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy in September 2023, causing no injuries or significant damage.^[11]

Designations since 1953

Designation	Period	Title of representative
Embassy	1923 – January 3, 1961	Ambassador
Interests Section	September 1, 1977 – July 20, 2015[note 1]	Chief of Mission ad interim
Embassy	July 20, 2015 – present	Ambassador

Note

1. The U.S. and Cuba did not have bilateral diplomatic relations between 1961 and 2015. During this period, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Cuba operated under the auspices of the Embassy of Switzerland.

Plenipotentiary representatives

Main article: List of Cuban ambassadors to the United States

Chiefs of Cuban Interests Section: 1977–2015

• 1977–89: Ramón Sánchez-Parodi Montoto
• 1989–92: José Antonio Arbesú
• 1992–98: Alfonso Fraga
• 1998–2001: Fernando Remírez de Estenoz Barciela
• 2001–07: Dagoberto Rodríguez Barrera
• 2007–12: Jorge Bolaños
• 2012–15: José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez^[12]

Ambassadors: 2015–present

• 2015–2020: José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez
• 2020–present: Lianys Torres Rivera

See also

• Cuba–United States relations
• Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States

References

1. AfroCuba Web
2. Marshall, Serena; Stracqualursi, Veronica (July 1, 2015). "Take a Look Inside the Cuban Embassy That Will Reopen in the US". ABC News.
3. Montgomery, David (June 10, 2015). "Ready to raise the flag over the Cuban 'Embassy'…but when?". The Washington Post.
4. Davis, Julie Hirschfeld (July 1, 2015). "Announcing Cuba Embassy Deal, Obama Declares 'New Chapter'". The New York Times.
5. Spetalnik, Matt (July 20, 2015). "Cuba opens Washington embassy, urges end to embargo". Reuters.
6. Krauss, Clifford (February 12, 1991). "Swiss to Sponsor Cuba's Diplomats". The New York Times.
7. Hewitt, Christopher (2005). Political Violence and Terrorism in Modern America: A Chronology. Praeger Security International Series. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 121. ISBN 9780313334184.
8. Jonušauskas, Laurynas (2003). Likimo vedami: Lietuvos diplomatinės tarnybos egzilyje veikla 1940–1991 (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras. pp. 303–304. ISBN 9986-757-56-8.
9. Noori Farzan, Antonia; Flynn, Meagan (April 30, 2020). "Suspect in custody after targeting Cuban Embassy in shooting, police say". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
10. Balsamo, Michael (April 30, 2020). "Police: Shooting at Cuban Embassy is 'suspected hate crime'". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
11. "Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC attacked with Molotov cocktails". www.aljazeera.com. September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
12. Luxner, Larry (November 2012). "Well-Wishers Host Cocktail Party for Retiring Cuban Diplomat". The Washington Diplomat. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2013.

External links

• Official website