The United Nations General Assembly briefly suspended proceedings during a debate ahead of a scheduled vote on a Cuban-backed draft resolution calling for an end to the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, after a heated exchange between Michael Waltz, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and the Cuban delegation on Tuesday (27 Oct).
During Waltz’s address, members of the Cuban delegation, including Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, interrupted the speech with objections over his remarks. Rodríguez later approached the podium area, prompting a tense exchange with the US ambassador.
Waltz accused Havana of suppressing criticism, stating: “Imagine what happens when someone asks these questions in Havana, not in a room full of ambassadors and cameras.” He later told the Cuban delegation: “This is the United Nations. This isn’t your communist dictatorship. You cannot silence me.”
Dr Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, called for order before suspending the meeting. After further points of order raised by the Cuban delegation, Waltz resumed and completed his address, defending Washington’s position on the embargo, rejecting Cuba’s description of it as a “blockade”, and alleging corruption, political repression and misuse of state resources by the Cuban government. He urged member states to reject the draft resolution.
The confrontation reflected the wider diplomatic divide over US-Cuba relations, with Washington and Havana offering opposing explanations for Cuba’s economic challenges. The dispute came amid worsening conditions on the island, including fuel shortages, power outages and wider humanitarian pressures, while the Trump administration increased pressure on the Cuban government in 2026.
ℹ️ UN Web TV
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