The decision has a strong symbolic impact at a time when official ties with Europe have cooled and the regime’s international reputation has deteriorated
14ymedio, Havana, November 20, 2025 — The Government of Belgium reported the closure of its embassy in Havana, and the Cuban regime has responded by expressing “surprise and disappointment.” The announcement, made on November 18 by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is part of a restructuring of its diplomatic network which includes the closure of eight missions and the opening of five new ones.
According to the official Belgian statement, the change is due to a “strategic redistribution” of resources and does not constitute a break in its relations with Cuba, since consular services will be taken over by other regional missions and special envoys.
For its part, the Cuban embassy in Belgium stated that the measure “does not affect the historical ties that unite both peoples,” emphasizing the more than 120 years of bilateral relations, which, according to the text, have included scientific, cultural, academic and economic exchanges.
The measure “does not affect the historical ties that unite both peoples”
The Belgian embassy maintained that the decision was based on a technical and strategic analysis. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot explained that the review was the first in more than a decade and that the government is pursuing a more “broad, resilient and future-oriented” diplomacy.
For Cuba, the decision also has a strong symbolic impact at a time when official ties with Europe have cooled and the regime’s international reputation has deteriorated, especially after the recent closure of Ukraine’s diplomatic headquarters on the island and allegations of the recruitment of Cubans to participate in the Russian invasion of that country.
In the short term, Cuban and Belgian citizens will have to face changes in consular procedures. The services provided by the Belgian embassy in Havana — visas, citizen registration and consular assistance — must now be provided from other countries, such as Panama.
But the impact does not end there. In Cuba, the Belgian embassy was also an interlocutor between official institutions and the European Union in various cooperation projects. The closure can slow down cultural initiatives and academic collaboration.
The Belgian embassy held that the decision was based on a technical and strategic analysis
In its statement, the Cuban embassy in Brussels requested “that the measure not damage the links between institutions, entrepreneurs and ‘the many friendships established between both peoples.” It warned that the closure “contradicts” Belgium’s speech on Latin America and the Caribbean and expressed its hope that the decision will not result in “a de facto break.”
Although the Belgian authorities claim that bilateral diplomacy will continue through other channels, the move comes at a time of growing tensions between Havana and the West. For Havana, it represents a new challenge in its strategy to strengthen European alliances that counterbalance its isolation with Latin America and Russia.
The Cuban embassy concluded its statement stating that it maintains “the will to preserve existing links,” even in a scenario of “difficult understanding” for citizens who expect consular services and cultural cooperation that may be affected by the Belgian decision.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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