“He’s gone. He is going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours,” Mike Waltz told Fox News.
Kylie Cooper/Pool via Reuters
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the expulsion of a Cuban diplomat accused of lunging at a member of U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz’s team in the General Assembly Hall.
Tensions exploded on Tuesday when Waltz gave a speech in New York City accusing Cuba’s government of benefiting from the forced labor of its citizens. During the speech, Waltz showed photos of the country’s late dictator, Fidel Castro, and current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wearing luxury Rolex watches.
The Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, loudly objected to the speech, with Parrilla angrily approaching the podium on which Waltz was speaking. The U.S. ambassador accused Cuban officials of trying to “intimidate” him. “I’m the representative of the United States of America,” Waltz said. “Back up!”
Waltz shouts at Parrilla, who objects to his speech and calls for a point of order.
During the fallout, Richard Tur de la Concepcion, the first secretary of Cuba’s U.N. delegation, was recorded attempting to snatch a phone from Waltz’s spokesman, JP Freire, to stop him from filming the shouting match.
During an interview on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show Tuesday night, Waltz said Tur de la Concepcion had “shoved and tried to assault” one of his team members, adding that Rubio had signed the paperwork to expel him from the U.S.
Mike Waltz showed some of the props he used during his speech about Cuban “elites” on Fox News.
“He’s gone. He is going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours,” Waltz said.
Get the Best of the BeastSign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
“You lay a hand on an American here in the United States. President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and myself, we’re not going to stand for it, there will be consequences.”
A State Department spokesperson later confirmed to the Daily Beast: “We have made clear to the Cuban Mission that this individual is not welcome in the United States, and as a result, this individual has left.
“Members of the incompetent communist Cuban regime showed their true essence through their intimidation and oppression tactics. Those tactics will not work, nor will they be tolerated.”
Waltz shared videos of the confrontation at the U.N. General Assembly on social media, accusing Cuban “regime thugs” of rushing the stage to interrupt his speech.
“This individual needs to back away from this podium,” Waltz says of Parrilla. “He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America like he tries to intimidate political prisoners.” Parrilla yells back that Waltz is a “liar.”
A separate clip showing Tur de la Concepcion trying to snatch Freire’s phone also emerged. In the footage, the Cuban diplomat accuses Waltz’s team of “violating my personal space.”
Following the confrontation, Cuban diplomat David Ramirez Alvarez sharply accused Waltz of being a “disgrace to what it means to be a diplomat.”
“The man talks, walks, and acts like a character from the film Idiocracy. Cuba will not stay idly by as this person eviscerates the principles of the United Nations,” Alvarez posted on X.
Waltz defended his actions during his appearance on Hannity.
“I’m a 27-year Green Beret. I’m not going to have it. They thought they could intimidate us in the United States of America like they do their own people, and they had another thing coming,” he said.
Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.
What’s IncludedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rate – Save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rateFull access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*Premium ad-free readingUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You’re all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Back to plans
Subscription$0.00
Total$0.00
Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookLoading subscription options Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
SubscribeRegister
What’s IncludedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rate – Save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rateFull access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*Premium ad-free readingUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You’re all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Back to plans
Subscription$0.00
Total$0.00
Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookLoading subscription options