The Cuban embassy in Washington was targeted on Sunday September 24 with two Molotov cocktails, announced the head of Cuban diplomacy, Bruno Rodriguez, describing the incident as a “terrorist attack” in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) .
The shooting left bullet holes in the exterior walls and damaged several windows and moldings on the facade of the building, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). We do not yet know the identity of the author or his motivations.
In response, the Cuban foreign minister summoned the American charge d’affaires in Havana, Mara Tekach, to express his “strong protest” after the “terrorist attack” against his embassy.
Second attack since 2020
This is not the first time that the Cuban embassy in the United States has been targeted. In April 2020, a 42-year-old man opened fire at the building using an assault rifle before being arrested. The attack caused no injuries.
Sunday evening’s incident took place hours after Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel returned to Havana. The leader, contested by a majority of the Cuban diaspora in the United States, was notably traveling to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Demonstrations by Cubans living in the United States took place in New York to protest his invitation.
“Anti-Cuba groups resort to terrorism when they think they can benefit from impunity, something Cuba has repeatedly warned US authorities against,” Bruno Rodriguez added after Sunday’s attack.
The normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba is very recent. It was not until 2015 that the Washington building officially became an embassy again, under the leadership of former US President Barack Obama. A thaw that remains fragile: in 2021, the administration of Republican Donald Trump once again included the island of communist government on the American list of “states supporting terrorism”. Cuba was however removed from the list in 2015.
