Cuba slams Dominican decision to expel its diplomats, blames U.S. pressure

HAVANA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cuba on Thursday condemned the Dominican Republic's decision to expel 10 Cuban diplomats and their families, calling it an act of subservience to Washington and its anti-Cuban policy.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry said there is no justification for the expulsion as the Cuban envoys had abided by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the laws of the Dominican Republic.

It appears the Dominican Republic caved to pressure from the U.S. government, which is working to isolate Cuba by undermining its diplomatic ties with countries in the region, the ministry said in a statement.

This is not the first time Dominican authorities have aligned themselves with Washington's stance against Cuba, said the ministry, adding that the measure would significantly impact Cuban-Dominican relations.

Despite the expulsion, the ministry noted that the historical ties between the Cuban and Dominican peoples, built on their shared struggle for independence, would not be undermined. Enditem