Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. | |
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![]() The Embassy of Cuba in 2023 | |
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Location | 2630 16th Street NW Washington, D.C. United States |
Coordinates | 38°55′27″N77°02′13″W / 38.9242°N 77.037°W |
Ambassador | H.E. Lianys Torres Rivera (since 2020) |
The Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Cuba to the United States of America. It is located at 2630 16th Street Northwest, in the Meridian Hill neighborhood. [1] The building was originally constructed in 1917 as the Cuban embassy, [2] and served in that capacity until the United States severed relations with Cuba in 1961. [3] On July 1, 2015, US President Barack Obama announced the formal restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. [4] The building resumed its role as the Cuban Embassy on July 20, 2015. [5]
From 1977 to 2015, the former Cuban Embassy housed the Cuban Interests Section in the United States. The interests section was staffed by Cubans and operated independently, but it was formally a section of the protecting power's embassy. From 1977 to 1991, it operated as the Cuba Interests Section of the Czechoslovak Embassy to the United States. In 1991, the post-Communist government of Czechoslovakia refused to continue its sponsorship of Cuba. From 1991 to 2015, the Cuban Interests Section operated under the Swiss Embassy, [6] until diplomatic relations were re-established and the building resumed its role as the Cuban embassy.
On May 19, 1979, Omega 7 detonated a bomb in the building, [7] which did more damage to the Lithuanian legation next door. [8]
On April 30, 2020, a gunman opened fire at the building with an AK-47 style rifle. No one was injured, and the gunman, a 42-year-old man from Aubrey, Texas, was arrested. [9] Though the gunman's motivation was not officially known, a police report called it a "suspected hate crime". [10]
Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the embassy in September 2023, causing no injuries or significant damage. [11]
Name | Title | Credentials presented | Head of State | |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 June 1902:Legation opened | ||||
Gonzalo de Quesada | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | June 16, 1902 | Tomás Estrada Palma | |
General Carlos Garcia Velez | April 9, 1909 | José Miguel Gómez | ||
Dr. Francisco Carrera Justiz | April 8, 1910 | |||
Antonio Martin-Rivero | April 11, 1911 | |||
Dr. Pablo Desvernine | June 17, 1913 | Mario García Menocal | ||
Dr. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes y Quesada | July 22, 1914 | |||
13 December 1923:Legation raised to Embassy | ||||
Cosme de la Torriente y Peraza | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 13, 1923 | Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso | |
Rafael Sanchez-Aballi | December 3, 1925 | Gerardo Machado | ||
Orestes Ferrara | December 21, 1926 | |||
Oscar B. Cintas | November 4, 1932 | |||
Dr. Jose T. Baron | Chargé d'Affaires (a.i.) | August 10, 1933 | ||
Dr. Manuel Marquez Sterling | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | January 31, 1934 | Carlos Mendieta | |
Dr. Jose T. Baron | Chargé d'Affaires (a.i.) | December 10, 1934 | ||
Dr. Guillermo Patterson de Jauregui | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 6, 1935 | ||
Dr. Pedro Martinez Fraga | March 9, 1937 | Federico Laredo Brú | ||
Dr. Jose T. Baron | Chargé d'Affaires (a.i.) | December 10, 1940 | Fulgencio Batista | |
Dr. Aurelio Fernandez Concheso | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 5, 1941 | ||
Dr. Guillermo Belt | December 20, 1944 | Ramón Grau | ||
Dr. Oscar Gans | April 12, 1949 | Carlos Prío Socarrás | ||
Dr. Luis Machado | July 11, 1950 | |||
10 March — 27 March 1952:Relations severed | ||||
Dr. Alberto Espinosa | Chargé d'Affaires (a.i.) | March 27, 1952 | Fulgencio Batista | |
Dr. Aurelio Fernandez Concheso | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | April 28, 1952 | ||
Dr. Miguel Ángel de la Campa y Caraveda | April 8, 1955 | |||
Nicolas Arroyo | April 9, 1958 | |||
Dr. Ernesto Dihigo | February 25, 1959 | Manuel Urrutia Lleó | ||
3 January 1961:Relations severed [note 1] Interests section opened at the Czechoslovak (1977–1991) and Swiss embassies (1991–2015) | ||||
Ramón Sánchez-Parodi Montoto | Chief of Mission (a.i.) | In office: 1977–1989 | Fidel Castro | |
José Antonio Arbesú | In office: 1989–1992 | |||
Alfonso Fraga | In office: 1992–1998 | |||
Fernando Remírez de Estenoz Barciela | In office: 1998–2001 | |||
Dagoberto Rodríguez Barrera | In office: 2001–2007 | |||
Jorge Bolaños | In office: 2007–2012 | |||
José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez [12] | In office: 2012–2015 | Raúl Castro | ||
20 July 2015:Relations resumed | ||||
José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 17, 2015 In office: 2015–2020 | Raúl Castro | |
Lianys Torres Rivera | 2020–present | Miguel Díaz-Canel | ||
Note