Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar has issued a stern warning to the Cuban regime following a hostile demonstration against the U.S. mission chief in Havana, Mike Hammer, during his visit to the city of Camagüey.
In a message shared on her X account, Salazar voiced her "full solidarity" with Hammer, condemning the incident as “a cowardly ambush orchestrated by the Cuban dictatorship.”
The congresswoman criticized the so-called "acts of repudiation," describing them as "political attacks driven by the regime’s repressive apparatus."
“A dictatorship that relies on mobs for survival is on borrowed time. The United States will not stand by as state-sponsored terror against an American diplomat becomes normalized. They are playing with fire,” stated the Florida representative.
The confrontation took place this past Saturday at the Hotel Santa María, situated in Camagüey's Plaza del Gallo, where Hammer faced a crowd assembled by local authorities.
The verbal assault occurred amid a widespread power outage that plunged the historic center of the city into darkness.
Witnesses captured the verbal abuse directed at the diplomat, including taunts like "Trump’s puppet," "imperialist," "murderer," and demands for him to "get out of Camagüey."
Footage of the incident was disseminated by journalist Mario J. Pentón and activists Irma Lidia Broek and José Raúl Gallego.
Just a day earlier, Hammer had encountered a similar event in the city of Trinidad, where he was heckled by a group outside the Church of San Francisco de Paula after meeting with priest and activist José Conrado Rodríguez.
Hammer remarked that those hurling insults “do not represent the Cuban people,” emphasizing that his visit aims to connect with "everyday Cubans and hear their aspirations for a better Cuba."
This latest repudiation act in Camagüey has reignited criticism of the Cuban regime's harassment tactics against dissidents, journalists, and now foreign diplomats.
Cuban Regime's Hostility and U.S. Diplomatic Response
What prompted María Elvira Salazar's warning to the Cuban regime?
Salazar's warning was prompted by an aggressive demonstration against U.S. mission chief Mike Hammer during his visit to Camagüey, which she described as a “cowardly ambush” by the Cuban dictatorship.
How did Mike Hammer respond to the acts of repudiation in Cuba?
Mike Hammer stated that those who insulted him “do not represent the Cuban people” and highlighted that his visit was intended to engage with ordinary Cubans and understand their aspirations for a better future.
What are "acts of repudiation" in the context of Cuba?
In Cuba, "acts of repudiation" are political attacks orchestrated by the regime to intimidate and harass dissidents, journalists, and now foreign diplomats, often involving public shaming and verbal assaults.