The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Cuba to the United States. It is located at 2630 16th Street Northwest, in the Meridian Hill neighborhood.AfroCuba Web The building was originally constructed in 1917 as the Cuban embassy, and served in that capacity until the United States severed relations with Cuba in 1961. On July 1, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the formal restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. The building resumed its role as the Cuban Embassy on July 20, 2015. The U.S. government waived ambassadorial representation, opting for a chargé d'affaires as its diplomatic envoy.
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, until diplomatic relations were re-established and the building resumed its role as the Cuban embassy.
On May 19, 1979, the now-defunct anti-Castro Cuban group Omega 7 detonated a bomb in the building, which did more damage to the Lithuanian legation next door.
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. Though the gunman's motivation was not officially known, a police report called it a "suspected hate crime".
Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy in September 2023, causing no injuries or significant damage.
List of representatives Name Title Credentials presented Head of State16 June 1902: Legation openedGonzalo de QuesadaEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryTomás Estrada PalmaGeneral Carlos Garcia VelezJosé Miguel GómezDr. Francisco Carrera JustizAntonio Martin-RiveroDr. Pablo DesvernineMario García MenocalDr. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes y Quesada13 December 1923: Legation raised to EmbassyCosme de la Torriente y PerazaAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAlfredo Zayas y AlfonsoRafael Sanchez-AballiGerardo MachadoOrestes FerraraOscar B. CintasDr. Jose T. BaronChargé d'Affaires (a.i.)Dr. Manuel Marquez SterlingAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryCarlos MendietaDr. Jose T. BaronChargé d'Affaires (a.i.)Dr. Guillermo Patterson de JaureguiAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDr. Pedro Martinez FragaFederico Laredo BrúDr. Jose T. BaronChargé d'Affaires (a.i.)Fulgencio BatistaDr. Aurelio Fernandez ConchesoAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDr. Guillermo BeltRamón GrauDr. Oscar GansCarlos Prío SocarrásDr. Luis Machado10 March — 27 March 1952: Relations severedDr. Alberto EspinosaChargé d'Affaires (a.i.)Fulgencio BatistaDr. Aurelio Fernandez ConchesoAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDr. Miguel Ángel de la Campa y CaravedaNicolas ArroyoDr. Ernesto DihigoManuel Urrutia Lleó3 January 1961: Relations severedThe 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.Ramón Sánchez-Parodi MontotoChief of Mission (a.i.)Fidel CastroJosé Antonio ArbesúAlfonso FragaFernando Remírez de Estenoz BarcielaDagoberto Rodríguez BarreraJorge BolañosJosé Ramón Cabañas RodríguezRaúl Castro20 July 2015: Relations resumedJosé Ramón Cabañas RodríguezAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryRaúl CastroLianys Torres RiveraChargé d'Affaires2021–presentMiguel Díaz-Canel
Notes
See also Cuba–United States relations List of ambassadors of the United States to Cuba
References
External links
Official website