A Cuban diplomat faces expulsion from the United States after allegedly lunging at an American representative and attempting to grab his iPhone amid a confrontation at the United Nations over the wealth of Cuba’s ruling officials.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz disclosed Tuesday night that Washington was preparing to send Richard Tur de la Concepcion, the first secretary of Cuba’s UN mission, back to Havana following an incident involving Waltz’s spokesman, JP Freire.
“He’s gone. He is going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours,” Waltz announced on Fox News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had authorized the expulsion by signing the necessary documents, according to the ambassador.
The dispute had escalated while Freire was filming an argument between representatives of the two countries. Waltz accused Tur de la Concepcion of pushing his spokesman and making an attempt to take the phone.
“You lay a hand on an American here in the United States, President Trump, Secretary Rubio and myself, we’re not gonna stand for it,” Waltz warned.
The encounter followed a contentious UN session in which Waltz challenged the Cuban government’s explanation for the island’s economic suffering.
The debate concerned a recurring resolution seeking an end to American trade restrictions on Cuba. Waltz disputed Havana’s contention that those restrictions were responsible for the country’s humanitarian problems.
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Instead, he confronted Cuban officials with images depicting expensive possessions associated with their leaders.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla interrupted the presentation, approaching the podium to accuse Waltz of lying as the American ambassador questioned the wealth of Cuba’s political leadership.
Waltz had displayed former Cuban leader Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches valued together at approximately $40,000, alongside an image of current President Miguel Diaz-Canel wearing another Rolex.
“According to the regime’s own statistics, that would pay for 55 years of an average Cuban wage,” Waltz told the delegates.
“He doesn’t like hard truths. You can come and intimidate all you want,” Waltz responded as Rodriguez Parrilla challenged him.
Waltz also accused the foreign minister of employing the same intimidation tactics that he alleged Cuban authorities used against political prisoners.
A floating restaurant, a swimming pool and a lagoon for pet dolphins were among the amenities Waltz identified at Cayo Piedra, which he described as a private luxury retreat belonging to the Castro family.
Rubio subsequently published a map on social media showing the island’s location, drawing additional attention to the property featured during Waltz’s UN presentation.
Private island of corrupt regime in Cuba pic.twitter.com/jl93l6wD8D
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 27, 2026
President Donald Trump has also discussed the possibility of bringing American naval vessels close to Cuba’s coastline.
During a recent Florida rally, he imagined ships returning from operations in the region making an unscheduled visit near the island.
“We’ll do a little stopover,” Trump told the crowd.
He proposed bringing one vessel within approximately 50 yards of shore before sending Rubio to negotiate what he characterized as a possible agreement.
Rubio has also publicly invited Cuban reformists and dissidents to work confidentially with American intelligence, urging them through X to “seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA.”
Rubio’s attention has also turned toward Venezuela’s political future, where Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado has resumed her presence after living in exile.
Machado pledged to remain committed to Venezuela’s transition of power and the establishment of free and fair elections during discussions with opposition leaders in Panama.
She also expressed her intention to seek the presidency if the country holds elections next year.
Rubio welcomed her return but maintained that demonstrations in public spaces would not be sufficient to secure democracy.
“You’re not going to street-protest your way into a democracy,” he cautioned in remarks reported by Axios.
He attributed the release of hundreds of political detainees and the homecoming of numerous exiled opposition figures to negotiations backed by Washington.
Rubio has placed a deadline on his expectations for Venezuela’s political transition, expressing his determination to see elections take place while he remains secretary of state.
“Best-case scenario, I’m in this job for two more years and two months,” Rubio explained to reporters.
His remarks reflected the administration’s insistence that Venezuela move toward elections before Trump’s presidency ends in January 2029.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined those welcoming Machado home, recalling their earlier discussion about giving Venezuelans the opportunity to choose their government.
Schumer used X on Tuesday to express support for competitive elections and the opposition leader’s return.
“Venezuelans deserve the right to elect their president—there is no time to waste,” he wrote.
Trump has offered an entirely different vision of Venezuela’s future, suggesting the country might eventually join the United States as its 51st state.
The president raised the possibility while discussing Venezuelan oil and the economic opportunities he believed the country could experience.
Earlier Tuesday, he asserted that Venezuela had presented the United States with 1 million barrels of oil as a gift.
“It will become a prosperous country, and who knows? Maybe someday soon, it will become a prosperous 51st state,” Trump suggested. “Instead of a president, we’ll have an election for a governor.”
