Cuba strongly rejects Dominican Republic's expulsion of 10 diplomats, blames US pressure

In a statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said there was "no reason" to justify the decision, maintaining that its diplomats had acted in strict accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Dominican law.

"There is no other explanation for this action than the submission of the Dominican Republic government to pressure from the US government," the ministry said.

Havana accused Washington of seeking to isolate Cuba and damage its diplomatic relations with countries in the region.

The ministry pointed to the Dominican Republic's exclusion of Cuba from the postponed 10th Summit of the Americas and its changed vote on Cuba's UN General Assembly resolution against the US embargo as previous examples of alignment with Washington.

Cuba said the expulsions would "significantly damage" relations between the two governments but would not undermine longstanding ties between the Cuban and Dominican peoples.