Official: US to tap longtime diplomat to run Havana embassy

BRUSSELS – The Trump administration intends to name a former U.S. ambassador to the Philippines and Bolivia to run its embassy in Cuba.

A U.S. official says the administration has selected Philip Goldberg to be the chargé d'affaires in Havana. That's the top diplomat at U.S. missions where there is no ambassador. The Senate hasn't confirmed an ambassador to Cuba since relations were restored in 2015.

The official wasn't authorized to disclose the decision and demanded anonymity. The State Department declined to comment.

Goldberg is a long-serving diplomat once kicked out of Bolivia after the government accused him of fomenting unrest. He served in the Philippines under President Barack Obama. It's unclear how long he'll serve in Cuba.

Word of Goldberg's selection came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Brussels.