Outgoing president orders embassy closure and expulsion of Cuban diplomats as regional tensions escalate.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles announced Wednesday that his government is ending all diplomatic relations with Cuba, including closing its embassy in Havana and requiring Cuban diplomats to leave the country.
Chaves Robles said the decision was driven by opposition to socialism and communism, as well as concerns over human rights conditions under Cuba’s government. “We do not recognize the legitimacy of this government,” the president asserted Wednesday. “We have to clean the hemisphere of communists. Simple as that.”
The move comes amid a period of instability in Cuba following the January arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. authorities on multiple charges. Venezuela had long provided subsidized oil to Cuba, a supply that ceased after Maduro’s arrest, contributing to disruptions in the country’s energy grid, tourism sector, and broader infrastructure.
Amid worsening economic conditions, reports indicate that protests have intensified across the island, with demonstrations occurring daily in recent days. In one instance, protesters in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, nearly set fire to a Communist Party headquarters. Demonstrators have also displayed anti-government messages and signs referencing support for President Donald Trump.
Costa Rica’s president-elect, Laura Fernández Delgado, voiced support for the diplomatic break, stating the decision reflects broader concerns about governance and civil liberties in Cuba. “It is a decision taken prioritizing the human dignity of the Cuban people,” Fernández Delgado said in an interview. “Costa Rica is a nation that is global role model, we are lovers of liberty and of democracy; therefore, I was part of the decision taken to eliminate our embassy in Cuba and urge for the retirement of the one in our country.”
She added that communist systems “destroys societies” and described conditions in Cuba as a warning for future generations.
Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry framed the decision as a response to ongoing developments within Cuba, citing “profound concern for the country over the sustained deterioration of the human rights situation on the island, as well as the increase in repressive acts against citizens, against activists and opposition members who legitimately exercise their rights to express themselves and participate in public life.”
Foreign Minister André Tinoco confirmed that Costa Rica had already withdrawn embassy personnel from Havana, completing the process on February 5. Consular services for Costa Rican citizens in Cuba will now be handled through Panama’s embassy.
Cuba’s government responded through its Ministry of External Affairs, criticizing Costa Rica’s decision and attributing it to U.S. influence. In a statement, the ministry disparaged the move, alleging San José acted under pressure and accusing Costa Rica of maintaining a pattern of alignment with U.S. policy toward Cuba.
“The External Relations Ministry … categorically rejects the disrespectful declarations by the president of Costa Rica … when, trying to justify this unfriendly act by his government, crudely manipulated the history and reality of Cuba,” the statement read.
The Cuban government further accused Costa Rica of disregarding what it described as U.S. responsibility for the country’s economic conditions.
Cuba’s current challenges have been compounded by reduced external support, including diminished assistance from Venezuela and limited intervention from other allies. In recent weeks, Cuban officials have acknowledged discussions with the United States aimed at improving relations and have introduced a policy allowing Cuban expatriates to invest in the country.
That initiative has drawn criticism from Cuban Americans in the United States, who have expressed opposition to providing financial support to the government they fled.
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