Lianys Torres Rivera

Lianys Torres Rivera entered Cuba’s diplomatic service in 1994. Before heading its Washington mission, she took part in the 2015–2017 process of restoring diplomatic relations and reopening the two countries’ embassies. Her work included the bilateral commission and economic dialogue, as well as exchanges on regulation, banking, postal services, renewable energy, human rights, and trafficking in persons. ¹

Torres Rivera was ambassador to Vietnam from 2017 to 2020. Vietnam awarded her its Friendship Order in 2021, citing her contribution to bilateral cooperation and high level exchanges, including Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s March 2018 visit to Cuba. ²

She became the first woman to head Cuba’s mission in Washington, serving as chargé d’affaires. In an October 2026 interview, she said the two governments maintained contacts through meetings, telephone calls, and messaging but had not agreed an agenda for formal negotiations. She described Cuba’s political system as outside the scope of bargaining. ^{1, 3}