United States Interests Section in Havana
de facto embassy of the U.S. in Havana, Cuba (1977-2015)
The United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, Cuba ("USINT Havana" in the State Department telegraphic address) represented United States interests in Cuba from September 1, 1977 to July 20, 2015. It was staffed by United States Foreign Service personnel and local staff employed by the US Department of State, and located in a multi-story office building on the Malecón across from the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana. The mission resumed its role as the Embassy of the United States in Cuba on July 20, 2015, following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
USINT Havana formally operated under the protection of the Embassy of Switzerland while its counterpart, the Interests Section of the Republic of Cuba in Washington, until 1991, was formally a Section of the Embassy of Czechoslovakia, although they operated independently in virtually all but name and protocol respects. During this period, the United States and Cuba did not operate embassies in each other's countries, and their respective Interests Sections functioned as de facto embassies. Switzerland became the protecting power for both in 1991. The last Section Chief of USINT Havana was Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who served from August 2014 to its termination in 2015. He subsequently became chargé d'affaires of the embassy.
History
The US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba on January 3, 1961, formally due to a disagreement about staffing levels at the respective embassies. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated at the time, "There is a limit to what the United States in self-respect can endure.
The public source identifies “United States Interests Section in Havana” as de facto embassy of the U.S. in Havana, Cuba (1977-2015). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around United, States and Interests.
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