Cuban official accused of shoving US diplomat during Mike Waltz argument at UN to be expelled from US: ‘He’s gone’

The Cuban official who allegedly “shoved and attempted to assault” a US diplomat recording the argument between Mike Waltz and Havana’s foreign minister at the UN will be expelled from the United States, the ambassador has confirmed.

The delegate – identified by Cuban media as Richard Tur de la Concepción – appeared to grab US diplomat JP Freire’s cellphone as he filmed Waltz’s argument with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla that broke out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Tuesday.

Tur de la Concepción – the first secretary of Cuba’s permanent mission to the UN – waved his finger and pushed Freire’s device away before accusing it of “violating[his]personal space,” according to a video shared by Waltz.

Waltz told Fox News’ “Hannity” that the Cuban official in question “shoved and attempted to assault” a member of the U.S. delegation, confirming that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “signed the documents to expel him” from the United States.

“He’s gone. He’s going to fly to Havana in the next 24 hours. You put your hands on an American here in the United States, President Trump, Secretary Rubio and I, we’re not going to tolerate that.”

Waltz accused the Cuban delegation of trying to use the UN as a “propaganda platform to portray itself as a victim” – just a day before the UN passed a resolution condemning the US economic embargo on Cuba.

“They are spewing lies, they are spewing propaganda,” he said. “They blame the blockade, which does not exist. Besides, it would be a ring of navy ships that would not allow anything to enter or leave. It is an absolute lie.”

Waltz said his tirade – in which he accused the government in Havana of profiting from the forced labor of its own citizens – sparked a “meltdown” within the Cuban delegation, but said it was a way of countering communist propaganda with “hard truths”.

“They didn’t like hearing those hard truths,” he told Sean Hannity. “They are used to hearing propaganda in communist Havana, but under the administration we are going to show the world the depredation and failures of communism.”

During his tirade, Waltz lambasted “corrupt Cuban elites” and, to emphasize his point, he held up a photo of the late dictator Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches – worth about $40,000 in today’s money.

“According to the regime’s own statistics, this would pay for 55 years of the average Cuban salary,” Waltz railed.

The former Florida congressman then showed a photo of the country’s current president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, sporting a Rolex watch.

“It didn’t just start with Castro. It’s the current Cuban president, also with a Rolex,” he said.

Waltz lambasted how the Castro family lived a life of luxury while the rest of the Cuban population struggled.

“The Castro regime profited at the expense of the Cuban people with luxury cars, expensive watches and a private island,” Waltz wrote on X.

“As I shared this with the world, regime thugs rushed on stage to interrupt my speech. They can intimidate their own people in Cuba, but think again before attempting this nonsense in the United States of America.”

Meanwhile, Rodriguez Parilla accused Washington of lying in a “gross and persistent manner” and accused Waltz of “arrogance and hubris.”

“The U.S. government, with its blatant lies to the United Nations General Assembly, has launched yet another desperate attempt to justify economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy siege,” the X official said.

The UN will vote on a resolution on Wednesday condemning the economic embargo on the Caribbean island, which has become an annual tradition for 34 years.

The first vote took place in 1992 – with 59 countries voting in favor. Last year, 165 countries supported the motion.