Washington scolds Cuba after crowds heckle US diplomat

FILE PHOTO: Mike Hammer, the U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Cuba, attends a commemorative Mass for late Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz at the Our Lady of Charity Church in Havana, Cuba October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo

HAVANA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - ‌The United States on Sunday accused Cuba of interfering with the work of ‌its top diplomat in Havana after small groups of Cubans jeered at him ‌during meetings with residents and church representatives outside the capital.

Amid rising tensions between the two countries, the State Department on social media accused the Cuban government of "failed intimidation tactics," and it demanded that Havana stop "sending individuals ‍to interfere with the diplomatic work" of U.S. Charge ‍d'Affaires Mike Hammer.