J.P. Freire, the head of Strategic Communications for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, publicly addressed the Cuban official who attacked him during the embargo debate at the General Assembly. He highlighted the irony of a regime that censors its own citizens while trying to invoke American rights to shield itself from scrutiny on the international stage.
The incident unfolded on a Tuesday when Richard Tur de la Concepción, the first secretary of Cuba's mission to the UN, attempted to snatch Freire's phone, striking at him as he recorded the altercation between Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. Before being removed from that area of the hall, Tur warned Freire, "If we were on the streets of New York, you'd be breaking... I could sue you." To which Freire promptly replied, "No, you couldn't."
Freire shared a video of the exchange on his X account, dismantling the Cuban official's argument with a straightforward observation: "Their own team was filming throughout the hall. It's bizarre to think he believed I was violating his privacy."
The American diplomat took his analysis further, stating, "While the Cuban mission tries to silence criticism of the Castro regime's abuses and wealth, they want to rely on American rights they don't even comprehend," he wrote on X.
Freire also pointed out that the regime once again attempted to pressure UN staff to cut the microphone of the U.S. delegation, following Waltz's presentation to the Assembly. Waltz showcased evidence of the Cuban elite's accumulated wealth: Fidel Castro's Rolex watches valued at $40,000, the private island Cayo Piedra, a 50-meter yacht, and $18 billion in profits from the GAESA military conglomerate.
Upon discovering that Tur de la Concepción studied at Lenin School, Freire sarcastically noted in a new post, "I wonder if he majored in confiscating private property."
The repercussions for the Cuban official were swift. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the paperwork for his expulsion, and Waltz announced on television, "He's leaving. He'll be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours. If you lay a hand on an American here in the United States, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and I will not tolerate it."
This episode is part of an ongoing escalation between the two delegations throughout 2026. In mid-October, Cuban diplomats led by permanent representative Ernesto Soberón Guzmán staged a protest in the UN corridors against former political prisoners José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, shouting "terrorists" and "get out of the UN" at them.
Tur de la Concepción was also the Cuban candidate for the UN's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for the 2027-2029 term, with the vote scheduled for November. Cuban exiled analysts noted that his candidacy represented an attempt by the regime to infiltrate this key UN budgetary body.
International support for the Cuban resolution against the embargo has dwindled from 187 votes in 2024 to just 136 in the extraordinary session of July 2026, the lowest level in over a decade, with this year's vote set for Wednesday.
Key Questions About the Diplomatic Incident at the UN
What prompted the altercation between U.S. and Cuban officials at the UN?
The confrontation occurred during a debate on the embargo, where Richard Tur de la Concepción attempted to seize J.P. Freire's phone as he recorded a dispute involving Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.
How did the U.S. respond to the incident involving Richard Tur de la Concepción?
The U.S. responded by initiating the expulsion of Tur de la Concepción, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio signing the necessary documentation and Waltz announcing his imminent departure to Havana.
What broader implications does this incident have for U.S.-Cuba relations?
This incident is part of a continued series of confrontations between the U.S. and Cuban delegations, highlighting the escalating tensions and the ongoing scrutiny of Cuba's human rights record and economic practices.