Global Courant
In the second attack since the diplomatic compound was shot at in 2020, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy.
An assailant attacked the Cuban embassy in the US capital Washington DC with two Molotov cocktails, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said on social media, adding that no one was injured.
The attack took place on Sunday night, just hours after Cuba’s leader Miguel Diaz-Canel returned to the island after attending events at the United Nations in New York last week.
No one took responsibility for the attack, which Cuban officials said caused no significant damage or casualties, although Havana quickly blamed Cuban exiles in the US.
“Anti-Cuban groups turn to terrorism when they feel impunity, something Cuba has repeatedly warned US authorities about,” Rodriguez said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
En la noche de hoy, 24/9, la Embajada de #Cuba in the EEUU has set the goal of tackling a terrorist of a person who has suffered two Molotov attacks. No hubo danos al personal. View the details.
The second part is violent against Washington’s diploma,
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) September 25, 2023
(Unofficial translation: “Tonight, September 24, the #Cuba The embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who threw two Molotov cocktails. There were no injuries among staff. The details are being worked out. It is the second violent attack on the diplomatic headquarters in Washington.”)
Cuban President Diaz-Canel denounced that attack and said he was waiting for “action from the North American authorities.”
“Hate caused another terrorist attack on our embassy in Washington last night, an act of violence and weakness that could have cost precious lives,” he wrote on X.
The country is just getting started, a terrorist attack is now a fact #Washingtonan act of violence and powerlessness that could help you.
There are complaints and attacks on the North American authorities.#Cuba
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) September 25, 2023
The Cuban leader’s appearance at the UN last week was accompanied by demonstrations by opponents of the communist government in Havana, founded by Fidel Castro.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the US strongly condemned the reported attack.
“We are in contact with Cuban Embassy officials and law enforcement authorities to ensure an appropriate and timely investigation and to provide our support for future protective efforts,” he said in a statement.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that his department was working with Washington DC police in the investigation.
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson was quoted by NBC News as saying that no arrests had been made and there was no fire or significant damage to the building.
While Washington, DC regularly sees protests outside foreign embassies, attacks are rare and the US routinely denounces incidents affecting its foreign missions.
The throwing of Molotov cocktails was the second violent attack on the Cuban embassy in Washington DC, the Cuban foreign minister said.
Rodriguez said a gun was shot at the building in 2020. That shooting left bullet holes in exterior walls and columns, broke a street lamp and damaged several glass panes and moldings on the front of the building.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. authorities arrested Alexander Alazo in connection with the shooting and charged him with multiple offenses.
The Cuban Embassy reopened as a full mission in 2015 as the countries reestablished diplomatic ties severed since 1961.
The reopening came amid a reconciliation effort by former US President Barack Obama, who believed decades of US efforts to isolate the island had failed.
His successor, Donald Trump, backed by fervently anti-communist Latino voters in the politically vital state of Florida, reversed most of Obama’s overtures.
President Joe Biden has largely maintained Trump’s pressure policy and imposed sanctions after Cuba was rocked by unusual mass protests in July 2021.
