Ecuador expels Cuban diplomatic mission and declares ambassador persona non grata

Ecuador’s government on Wednesday declared Cuban ambassador Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez García persona non grata and ordered the entire Cuban diplomatic mission to leave the country within 48 hours.

Authorities also ordered the return of Ecuador’s ambassador to Cuba, José María Borja, from Havana.

According to a report by the official Cuban news agency Prensa Latina, Ecuador invoked Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to justify the measure.

So far, Ecuadorian authorities have not publicly disclosed the reasons for the expulsion.

Shortly after the statement circulated, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa shared a video on his social media showing a official burning documents on the roof of the Cuban embassy.

Noboa shares video from Cuban embassy

Shortly after the announcement circulated, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa shared a video on social media showing an official apparently burning documents on the roof of the Cuban embassy in Quito.

“Paper barbecue,” Noboa wrote in a brief comment accompanying the video.

Parrillada de papeles. pic.twitter.com/XBGz512bgi

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) March 4, 2026

The decision comes amid longstanding scrutiny of Cuba’s unusually large diplomatic network abroad, despite the island’s limited economic resources. According to a report by the research organization Cuba Archive, the Cuban government operates about 126 embassies worldwide, a diplomatic network larger than that of many countries with significantly bigger economies and populations.

For comparison, countries with similar populations such as the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Bolivia maintain three to four times fewer embassies, while their economies and exports are substantially larger than Cuba’s.

Havana has historically used its diplomatic network to expand political influence, promote propaganda, and coordinate international support for the Cuban government, previous reports from Cuba Archive show. 

Cuba’s diplomatic footprint also includes 43 diplomats assigned to its permanent mission at the United Nations in New York, a presence comparable to or larger than that of many far wealthier nations.

The expelled officials include:

Basilio Antonio Gutiérrez García, ambassador

• Vladimir González Fernández, counselor (consul)

• Samuel Bibilonia Ballate, minister counselor

• Ivette Franco Senén, first secretary

• Julio César Crespo Diéguez, third secretary

• Armando Bencomo Zamora, counselor (vice consul)

• Elkis Rojas Pérez, first secretary

• Silvia García, accountant

• Sonia García, press and communications attaché

• Cloris Isabel Arias Rubio, administrator

Additional embassy staff were also ordered to leave the country, including secretaries, civil attachés, consular assistants, and administrative personnel. 

The Cuban regime rejected Ecuador’s decision, calling the measure “unjustified.”

It remains unclear whether the move will lead to a complete rupture of diplomatic relations between Ecuador and Cuba.