Cuban security forces have removed 21 young visa-seekers who had forced
their way into the Mexican embassy in Havana, ending a two-day standoff.
The Cuban Government said an unarmed special unit carried out the ejection
at the request of Mexico, "without the least incident".
Mexico had asked for the removal of the group after they repeatedly refused
requests to leave the embassy grounds, according to Havana.
The group smashed their way into the diplomatic compound in a stolen bus on
Wednesday, before rushing on to the embassy roof, where they threatened to kill
themselves if police came near.
It is not clear where the youths were taken after the eviction.
Journalists at the scene say they were unable to see the operation because
the street outside the mission was blocked by police cars and barricades.
'Provocation'
About an hour before the eviction, Fidel Castro's government dismissed the
occupiers as common criminals.
"None of them is really motivated by ideas or objectives of a political
character," an official statement said.
"Soon, it will be said that the people caught up in the adventure of
Wednesday night are dissidents and prisoners of conscience, but that won't stop
us from unmasking them from head to toe."
A spokeswoman for Mexico's Foreign Relations Ministry, Gloria Abella, also
said the young men were not political dissidents.
"There has been no request for political asylum, this is a different
kind of situation. These are young people facing a difficult economic situation,
like many in Latin America," she said.
Mexico's Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda said the standoff began after a
statement he made was taken out of context by "radicals" in Miami.
During a visit to the American city, Mr Castaneda was quoted by local media
as saying: "The doors of the Embassy of Mexico on the island are open to
all Cuban citizens."
Mr Castaneda said two separate statements he made had been confused.
Havana has accused the Miami-based Radio Marti - largely run by Cuban exiles
- of provoking the embassy invasion. | 
