The United States ambassador to the Republic of Cuba is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Cuba, and serves as the head of the Embassy of the United States in Havana. Direct bilateral diplomatic relations did not exist between the two countries from 1961 to 2015. President Dwight D. Eisenhower severed relations following the Cuban Revolution on January 3, 1961.United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba History. Relations were subsequently restored by Cuban President Raúl Castro and President Barack Obama on July 20, 2015.

With the restoration of relations in 2015, the president may nominate an ambassador, though the position has remained vacant since 1960. The embassy has been overseen by chargé d'affaires Mike Hammer since 2024 on an ad interim basis. The chargé d'affaires and the embassy staff at large work in the American Embassy on the Malecón in Havana.

History

Cuba was the last major Spanish colony to gain independence, following a lengthy struggle that began in 1868. José Martí, Cuba's national hero, helped initiate the final push for independence in 1895. In 1898, the United States fought a brief war known as the Spanish–American War, after the USS Maine sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, due to an explosion of undetermined origin. In December 1898, Spain relinquished control of Cuba to the United States with the Treaty of Paris. On May 20, 1902, the United States granted Cuba its independence but retained the right to intervene to preserve Cuban independence and stability in accordance with the Platt Amendment. Prior to 1902, American interests in Cuba were represented by a Consul-General at Havana.

In 1902 the US established an embassy in Havana and appointed its first ambassador, Herbert G. Squiers. In 1934, the Platt Amendment was repealed. The United States and Cuba concluded a Treaty of Relations in 1934 which, among other things, continued the 1903 agreements that leased the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to the United States. In 1959 Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista and Batista fled the country on January 1, 1959. Relations between the United States and Cuba deteriorated rapidly as the Cuban government expropriated US properties and developed close ties with the Soviet Union. In October 1960, the US recalled its ambassador to protest Castro's policies. On January 3, 1961, the US withdrew diplomatic recognition of the Cuban government and closed the embassy in Havana. On September 1, 1977, the US established the United States Interests Section in Havana, located in its former embassy and operated under the auspices of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana. The Interests Section was headed by Chief of Mission rather than an ambassador. Bilateral relations between the two governments resumed on July 20, 2015.

Consuls General at Havana William Shaler (1829–1833) Nicholas Trist (1833–1841) James S. Calhoun (1841–1842) Robert B. Campbell (1842–1850) Allen F. Owen (1851–1851) William L. Sharkey (1851–1853) Alexander M. Clayton (1853–1854) Roger Barton (1854–1856) Andrew K. Blythe (1856–1858) Charles J. Helm (1858–1861) Robert Wilson Shufeldt (1861–1863) William T. Minor (1864–1867) Henry C. Hall (1873–1877) Adam Badeau (1882–1884) Ramon O. Williams (1884–1896) Fitzhugh Lee (1896–1898) J. Frank Aldrich (appointed 1897 but never took office) Edward S. Bragg (1902–1902)

Ambassadors +NameAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesHerbert G. SquiersMay 20, 1902May 27, 1902December 2, 1905Edwin V. MorganNovember 29, 1905March 1, 1906January 5, 1910John Brinkerhoff JacksonDecember 21, 1909March 22, 1910October 27, 1911RecalledArthur M. BeaupreAugust 12, 1911December 18, 1911June 28, 1913William E. GonzalesJune 21, 1913August 9, 1913December 18, 1919Political appointeeBoaz W. LongJune 30, 1919January 8, 1920June 17, 1921Political appointeeEnoch H. CrowderFebruary 10, 1923March 5, 1923May 28, 1927Political appointeeNoble Brandon JudahNovember 22, 1927December 17, 1927June 1, 1929Political appointeeHarry F. GuggenheimOctober 10, 1929November 21, 1929April 2, 1933Political appointeeSumner WellesApril 24, 1933May 11, 1933December 13, 1933Career FSO. Jefferson CafferyFebruary 23, 1934February 28, 1934March 9, 1937Career FSOJ. Butler WrightJuly 13, 1937August 23, 1937December 4, 1939Career FSO. Died at post.George S. MessersmithJanuary 12, 1940March 8, 1940February 8, 1942Career FSO. Recalled.Spruille BradenDecember 20, 1941May 19, 1942April 27, 1945Political appointeeRaymond Henry NorwebMay 21, 1945July 24, 1945May 22, 1948Career FSORobert ButlerMay 22, 1948June 8, 1948February 10, 1951Political appointeeWillard L. BeaulacJune 20, 1951September 20, 1951August 9, 1953Career FSOArthur GardnerMay 28, 1953October 16, 1953June 16, 1957Political appointeeEarl E. T. Smith June 3, 1957July 23, 1957January 19, 1959Political appointeePhilip W. BonsalFebruary 16, 1959March 3, 1959October 28, 1960Career FSO. Normal relations were severed in January 1961 and were not re-established until July 2015. An ambassador to Cuba has not been appointed since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations. All the following served Chargé d'affaires ad interim. Jeffrey DeLaurentis from July 20, 2015, to July 7, 2017 Scott Hamilton from July 7 to October 26, 2017 Lawrence J. Gumbiner from October 26, 2017, to February 11, 2018 Philip Goldberg from February 11 to July 20, 2018 Mara Tekach from July 20, 2018 to July 21, 2020 Timothy Zúñiga-Brown from July 31, 2020, to July 14, 2022 Benjamin G. Ziff from July 14, 2022 to November 14, 2024 Mike Hammer from November 14, 2024

Chiefs of the U.S. Interests Section The Interests Section operated from September 1, 1977, to July 20, 2015.

1977–1979: Lyle Franklin Lane 1979–1982: Wayne S. Smith 1982–1985: John Ferch 1985–1987: Curtis W. Kamman 1987–1990: John J. Taylor 1990–1993: Alan H. Flanigan 1993–1996: Joseph Sullivan 1996–1999: Michael Kozak 1999–2002: Vicki Huddleston 2002–2005: James Cason 2005–2008: Michael E. Parmly 2008–2010: Jonathan D. Farrar 2010–2011: Vacant September 2011 – 2014: John Caulfield August 2014 – July 20, 2015: Jeffrey DeLaurentis

See also Cuba–United States relations Foreign relations of Cuba Ambassadors of the United States

Notes

References United States Department of State: Background notes on Cuba

External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Cuba United States Department of State: Cuba United States Embassy in Havana