Santo Domingo, DR.— Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was invoked by the Government of the Dominican Republic to support the decision to order the departure from the country of nine diplomats from the Cuban Embassy in Santo Domingo and their respective family members.
The measure, communicated this Thursday, establishes that the 21 people must leave the Dominican Republic before Sunday, August 16, according to information from the EFE agency. So far, the Dominican Foreign Ministry has not publicly reported the specific reasons that motivated the decision.
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Article 9 of the Vienna Convention establishes the mechanism by which a receiving State may declare a member of the diplomatic staff persona non grata, without being obliged to explain the reasons for its decision to the sending State.
In diplomatic terms, this provision allows the receiving country to request the departure of a foreign official when it considers that their presence is not convenient, even if it does not have to make public the reasons supporting the decision.
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DR orders departure of Cuban diplomats
The decision of the government of Luis Abinader comes at a time of growing tension between Cuba and several governments in the region.
Although the Dominican authorities have not explained the specific causes of the measure, in recent months there have been different signs of distancing between Santo Domingo and Havana.
Last May, President Luis Abinader described Cuba as a country that is “obviously not a democratic state.” Subsequently, in July, the Dominican Republic abstained in a United Nations vote related to the U.S. embargo against the island.
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Furthermore, in October 2025, the Dominican government decided to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the X Summit of the Americas, which was scheduled to be held in Punta Cana.
What does article 9 establish?
Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations establishes that the receiving State may declare the head of a diplomatic mission or any member of its diplomatic staff persona non grata. The article also notes that the receiving State is not obliged to explain the reasons for that decision to the sending country.
In accordance with article 9, once the decision has been communicated, the sending State must recall the diplomat or terminate their functions within the mission. If it fails to do so within a reasonable period, the receiving State may refuse to recognize them as a member of the diplomatic mission.
The application of this article is part of the international norms that regulate diplomatic relations between States and allows a country to take measures against foreign officials without the need to publicly disclose the reasons supporting the decision.
In the case of the Dominican Republic and Cuba, the reference to article 9 helps explain the diplomatic mechanism used to request the departure of the Cuban officials, while it is expected that the Dominican authorities will offer further details regarding the circumstances that motivated the measure.
A new episode in the relationship with Cuba
Relations between the Dominican Republic and Cuba have a history marked by periods of rapprochement and distancing.
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Both countries formally established diplomatic relations in 1902, but ties were severed in 1959, amidst the existing tensions between the government of Fidel Castro and the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo.
Normalization began decades later. In June 1997, both countries signed a memorandum regarding consular and migration issues, as a preliminary step toward the restoration of diplomatic relations.
Finally, relations were fully restored in 1998, initiating a new stage of bilateral cooperation.
Since then, Santo Domingo and Havana have maintained ties in different areas, including migratory, consular, and cooperation matters.
The measure comes amid regional changes
The Dominican decision also coincides with other measures adopted against the Cuban Government during 2026.
In March, Ecuador declared the Cuban ambassador and members of his diplomatic mission persona non grata, while Costa Rica downgraded the level of its relations with Havana.
In Colombia, president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced that his government would break off relations with Cuba and Nicaragua after taking office.
These movements have generated new diplomatic tensions around Cuba, while the Cuban government has questioned the decisions of other countries and has attributed them, in different cases, to external pressures.
For now, the Dominican Republic has not detailed the specific reasons that led to ordering the departure of the nine Cuban diplomats and their families. Expectations are focused on the statement that the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs may issue, which could offer further details on a decision that marks a new chapter in relations between Santo Domingo and Havana.
