Molotov cocktails thrown at Cuban embassy in Washington

An assailant attacked the Cuban embassy in Washington with two Molotov cocktails on Sunday night, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said on messaging platform X, adding that nobody was hurt.

The attack occurred just hours after Cuba's leader Miguel Díaz-Canel returned to the island, having attended events at the United Nations in New York last week.

In the evening of today, Sep 24, the Cuban embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails. The staff suffered no harm. Details are being worked out.

This is the second violent attack against #Cuba's diplomatic mission ??

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) September 25, 2023

The embassy reopened in 2015 when the countries restored diplomatic ties severed since 1961. Rodriguez said shots had also been fired at the building from a rifle in a previous attack in 2020.

"Anti-Cuban groups turn to terrorism when they feel impunity, something Cuba has repeatedly warned US authorities about," Rodriguez said on his account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that the United States strongly condemned the reported attack.

"We are in contact with Cuban embassy officials and law enforcement authorities to ensure an appropriate and timely investigation as well as to offer our support for future protective efforts," he said in a statement.

The State Department said earlier it was coordinating with police in Washington, who referred comment to the Secret Service.

The Secret Service did not immediately respond to Reuters on Monday evening, but a spokesperson was cited by NBC News as saying that no arrests had been made and there was no fire or significant damage to the building.

Earlier this month, US and Cuban officials made progress on a range of issues during high-level talks in Washington.

Cuba's main concerns are that it remains on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism and the Biden administration’s continuation of Washington’s Cold War-era economic embargo. — Reuters