Chief Talking Points: A Case Study of the Fourteen Chiefs of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, From September 1, 1977, to July 20, 2015

On September 1, 1977, after sixteen years of not communicating, the United States and Cuba agreed to limited diplomatic relations. This led to the establishment of the United States Interests Section (USINT) in Havana, where the former U.S. Embassy—which closed in 1961—once stood. The USINT operated in that capacity until the U.S. Embassy reopened under President Obama on July 20, 2015. From 1977 to 2015, Fourteen Chiefs of Mission (COMs) led the USINT. This cohort of diplomats and the institution itself were the research focus for this dissertation. This qualitative multiple-case study examined the experiences, relationships, and perspectives of the COMs over thirty-eight years of USINT existence and presented the findings that emerged through the use of thematic analysis. The research explored extant literature, including oral histories, memoirs, government reports, monographs, interviews, and journal articles. The analyses revealed the complexities of diplomatic engagement in the context of U.S.-Cuba relations, especially in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. This research provided a novel dataset for a cohort not previously examined and shed light on the nuanced approaches adopted by the COMs in navigating political tensions and historical legacies between the United States and Cuba.