Cuba condemns Costa Rica for downgrading diplomatic relations, claiming it was under U.S. pressure

On the 18th local time, Cuban President Díaz-Canel posted on social media, condemning the Costa Rican government’s earlier decision to downgrade relations between the two countries to the consular level. Díaz-Canel said that Cuba rejected the unilateral decision by the Costa Rican government to downgrade and limit relations with Cuba to the consular level, and that it provided no reasons or any explanations. Díaz-Canel called this an unfriendly act, clearly under pressure from the U.S. government. Earlier on the 18th, at a press conference, Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister Andrea said that Costa Rica’s decision was to close its embassy in Cuba, and that it had officially requested the Cuban foreign affairs department to withdraw most of the diplomatic personnel from its embassy in San José, keeping only the necessary staff to handle consular affairs. (CCTV News)