On August 13, while the Havana regime was celebrating the centenary of the birth of Fidel Castro — the man responsible for the country’s destruction — the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) was raining on their parade. Through an announcement, the ministry reported that it had formally requested the Castro regime’s embassy to withdraw nine members of its diplomatic mission and their families, giving them seven days to leave Dominican territory.

The Foreign Ministry did not identify the officials, state their positions, or explain what crime or infraction they had allegedly committed, yet it was clear that a new episode of diplomatic tension was unfolding for the socialist tyranny.

Following the closure of the Castro regime’s embassy in Ecuador and the new Colombian government’s pledge to follow suit, Havana is experiencing a level of isolation unprecedented so far this century.

The Dominican Republic — a neighboring nation where both political exiles and high-ranking officials of the dictatorial apparatus have sought refuge — is also a land with which Cuba shares deep cultural and historical ties. Currently, many exiles who fear returning to Cuba use Dominican territory as a neutral third country to reunite with family members still on the island. Will the current tension between Santo Domingo and Havana complicate the issuance of visas for Cubans?

The embassies of both states have not yet closed, but it appears the Dominican authorities are deeply displeased.

Although they limited themselves to stating that they would handle the decision discreetly, they emphasized that it was backed by powers recognized under the Vienna Convention. Article 9 of the convention allows the receiving state to declare a diplomat unacceptable without publicly explaining the reasons.

The lack of official explanations sparked speculation — plausible speculation, I might add — regarding the reasons behind this abrupt move. On August 14, the newspaper El Día reported — citing high-level sources with direct knowledge of the case — that the measure was linked to alleged intelligence activities carried out by Castro-regime officials on Dominican soil, exploiting their diplomatic credentials.

According to these sources, Dominican authorities deemed certain activities incompatible with the functions of a diplomatic mission. This would not be the first time personnel from the Castro regime’s foreign service have been accused of espionage or subversive activities.

In 2019, the United States ordered two Cuban representatives assigned to the United Nations to leave the country immediately, alleging that the envoys were involved in “influence operations against the United States.”

But what triggered Santo Domingo’s reaction in 2026? Apparently, it was linked to incidents that occurred during the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games held in that city.

According to an investigation by the Dominican outlet Diario Libre, local security agencies detected individuals linked to the Cuban delegation inside sports venues conducting surveillance on Cuban athletes — apparently to prevent “defections,” a common occurrence among athletes who manage to leave the island.

In one instance, Dominican military personnel spotted individuals pursuing athletes who were attempting to leave the delegation. When authorities checked their credentials, they found the individuals were not “authorized” to perform such duties.

The investigation also stated that some agents used uniforms from other delegations to approach the athletes without drawing attention.

Nevertheless, at least five Cuban athletes left the delegation during the Games. However, Diario Libre noted that it could not prove the nine expelled officials were the same agents involved in those incidents.

Havana’s reaction was swift. On the 13th, the Foreign Ministry rejected the decision “in the strongest terms,” asserted that its diplomats had not violated the Vienna Convention or Dominican laws, and accused Luis Abinader’s government of yielding to alleged pressure from the United States as part of a policy aimed at isolating the regime.

Finally, on August 19, the Castroist authorities held a reception ceremony for the expelled officials, according to independent media. Now, I am certain, they will enjoy the long blackouts and the shortages of food and medicine with which the system they represented abroad has delighted the Cuban people.