Political reactions to the departure of Cuban diplomats in the Dominican Republic
The recent decision by the Dominican government to request the departure of nine members of the Cuban diplomatic mission has sparked an intense debate across various sectors of society. While the authorities are keeping the specific reasons for this measure confidential, both legislators and representatives of civil society institutions have called for prudence, urging people to avoid speculation and to wait for the official explanations that will be released in due course.
From the Chamber of Deputies, the president of the International Relations Commission, Ignacio Aracena, backed the position of the Executive Branch. Aracena emphasized that the Dominican State possesses the necessary sovereignty to adopt decisions aimed at protecting national security, underlining that these types of actions are framed within current international agreements.
We respect the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the governing body for managing the international policy of the Dominican Republic. The Government has the right to assume the positions it must assume to preserve national sovereignty.
Ignacio Aracena, President of the International Relations Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.
A call for prudence and institutional analysis
For his part, Deputy Elías Wessin Chávez described the measure as an act of protection for the country’s integrity. According to the legislator, it is essential to trust that the authorities have acted based on anomalous situations that require a firm response. Likewise, Servio Tulio Castaños Guzmán, executive vice president of the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus), recalled that it is the exclusive power of the President of the Republic to direct foreign policy.
- National sovereignty: Experts agree that the State has the authority to declare diplomats persona non grata under the terms of the Vienna Convention.
- Established deadlines: The affected officials, along with their family members, have a period of seven days to leave Dominican territory.
- Bilateral context: Although the relationship between both nations dates back to 1902, signs of political cooling have been recorded over the last year, marked by differences in the regional diplomatic agenda.
Legal foundations of the measure
The decision is supported by Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This regulatory framework allows the receiving country to notify that a member of the diplomatic staff is not acceptable, without the obligation to detail the reasons for such a determination to the sending State. Although the Cuban Government has questioned the measure, the Dominican authorities maintain their position, focused on the preservation of order and internal security.
It is important to highlight that this action, although significant, does not constitute a formal rupture of diplomatic relations between the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Both countries remain linked by various cooperation agreements in key areas such as transport, science, and culture, maintaining their institutional communication channels active while this diplomatic incident is being processed.
