Regime Orchestrates an Act of Repudiation Against Mike Hammer on the Regla Ferry


AREQUIPA, Peru – The Cuban regime orchestrated an act of repudiation against the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer, while the diplomat was using the ferry service known as la lanchita de Regla in Havana this Sunday.

In a video shared by a pro-regime account aligned with the Castro regime, State Security (SE) agents in civilian clothing can be seen confronting Hammer in a verbal altercation. The incident is part of a series of attacks the dictatorship has carried out against the American diplomat in recent weeks due to his work in defense of human rights and democracy on the Island.

As shown in the footage, a uniformed agent of the Revolutionary National Police (PNR) also participated in the act of repudiation, posing as a mediator between the parties.

According to a source cited by the independent outlet Cibercuba, the confrontation was led by two female SE agents, who unsuccessfully tried to incite the rest of the passengers to join the altercation.

Furthermore, during the incident, individuals presumably linked to the regime were seen recording the events from various angles with clear intent—an action that could later be used as part of the Cuban regime’s propaganda apparatus against Hammer.

A Strong Ally for Rights in Cuba

Since his arrival in Havana in 2023, Mike Hammer has maintained a clear public stance in favor of fundamental freedoms in Cuba. During his tenure, he has denounced arbitrary detentions, the repression of activists and independent journalists, and has advocated for respect for the rights of expression, assembly, and movement, all within a political context marked by social and economic crisis.

Just over a week ago, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) summoned Hammer to deliver a “verbal note” of protest, rejecting what it called the diplomat’s “interventionist and unfriendly behavior.”

This action by MINREX comes amid growing diplomatic tensions between the two countries, exacerbated by Hammer’s recent public statements openly criticizing the situation in Cuba.

On May 23, during a press conference held in Miami, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana stated: “People recognize that those responsible [for the current crisis] are the members of the Cuban regime. It has nothing to do with any U.S. policy.” According to Hammer, “There’s no electricity; you see the blackouts; there’s a shortage of fuel, a shortage of food, a shortage of medicine.”

At that same event, the diplomat emphasized that his mission in Cuba is to listen directly to the people: “I’ve been traveling across the country, and I’ve been asking if ordinary Cubans are interested in meeting with us to share their concerns, their experiences, their dreams… even their criticisms of the U.S. government.”

Hammer also addressed political repression: “The sanctions announced this Wednesday are a beginning, not an end (…). I can’t reveal upcoming measures yet, but I can assure you they are coming.” He added that those who speak with him, including relatives of political prisoners, have expressed their gratitude: “They say, ‘Keep meeting with us, we appreciate the support.’”

The Cuban regime’s response was swift. On May 25, Lis Cuesta, wife of the Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, lashed out at Hammer on social media. In a post on X, she wrote: “This shameless man is just pathetic… you’d have to be truly miserable to play such a sad role—he doesn’t even qualify as a serious enemy.” She added: “Disgusting people we’ve had to deal with. Homeland or Death! We shall overcome!”

Since his posting to the island, Mike Hammer has visited several provinces, including Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara, Camagüey, and Mayabeque. In the latter, he met on May 14 with young musician Abel Lescay, a July 11th protester convicted by the regime. “Here we are in Mayabeque. We enjoyed spending time with them and listening to their stories, their concerns, their dreams,” he said in a video shared by the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

In previous statements, Hammer had defended his right to travel the country and engage with Cuban citizens. “I’m traveling across Cuba because I know (…) that it’s very important to understand a country and its people by visiting all the provinces,” he said on May 2. He also asserted that his role as a diplomat includes understanding the national reality: “There’s nothing in the Vienna Convention that prohibits this. My job is to inform Washington, to understand the country.”

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