People hold Ecuadorian and Cuban flags during a demonstration outside the Cuban Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, on Wednesday. The government of Ecuador declared Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff “persona non grata'” and ordered them to leave the country, while also withdrawing their ambassador from Havana. Phito by Jose Jacome/EPA
March 6 (UPI) — Cuban diplomats abandoned their embassy in Quito and removed all national symbols and flags Friday after Ecuador ordered the expulsion of the entire Cuban diplomatic mission, escalating a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The move follows a pattern by Noboa, who has deepened ties with the United States, of cutting ties or cutting back on relations with leftist-led countries.
Images published by local media showed vehicles and officials leaving the embassy compound in the Ecuadorian capital as the withdrawal was carried out.
A staff member who exited the building hurriedly told reporters that the ambassador was still inside. The final official to leave the building, believed to be the ambassador, covered his face completely.
Police officers stationed outside the diplomatic compound later told local outlet Only Panas that the building appeared to be empty.
In an official statement, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the closure followed an order by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declaring all members of the Cuban diplomatic mission persona non grata.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, in response to the arbitrary, unjustified and hostile decision of the government of the Republic of Ecuador to declare persona non grata all Cuban diplomatic, consular and administrative personnel accredited in that country, and given the impossibility of maintaining a diplomatic representation, has decided to relinquish the property used as the headquarters of the Embassy of Cuba,” the statement said.
Cuba’s foreign ministry said all official symbols were removed from the building immediately.
“Starting at 10 a.m. [Quito time] today, March 6, 2026, the property that until now housed the Embassy of Cuba in Ecuador ceases its functions as a diplomatic headquarters,” the statement said.
Havana described Quito’s decision as a “unilateral and unfriendly action” that damages the historical relationship between the two countries.
“The government of Cuba deeply regrets the unilateral and unfriendly action of the government of Ecuador, which undermines the spirit of respect and cooperation that has historically characterized bilateral relations between the two countries,” the ministry added.
The diplomatic crisis began Wednesday when Noboa declared Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutiérrez and 22 members of the diplomatic mission persona non grata.
The measure was formalized through Decree 317, which also ordered the withdrawal of Ecuador’s ambassador to Cuba, José María Borja López, ending his diplomatic mission in Havana.
Before announcing the closure of its embassy, Cuba had condemned the expulsion of its mission in Ecuador “in the strongest terms.”
According to the foreign ministry, Ecuador declared all embassy officials persona non grata “without providing any argument” and gave them only 48 hours to leave the country.
Cuba said its embassy staff had “strictly complied” with Ecuadorian laws and had not interfered in the country’s internal affairs, as established by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The crisis deepened after Noboa publicly alleged that documents were being destroyed inside the Cuban embassy after the expulsion order became known.
Local media also reported the presence of Ecuadorian military personnel around the embassy while Cuban officials carried out their withdrawal.
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