The United Nations witnessed heightened diplomatic friction between the United States and Cuba on Monday as U.S. officials hosted an event criticizing the Cuban government, in the lead-up to an upcoming vote on a resolution seeking to end the U.S. embargo against the island nation.
Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán and other representatives confronted U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz outside the UN building, where the U.S. event focused on alleged human rights violations by the Cuban regime. The confrontation occurred amid growing tensions ahead of the General Assembly vote, expected October 27-28, on a non-binding resolution opposing the embargo.
“I hope you…noted the so-called diplomats from the Cuban embassy here that we allow here by dint of treaty, harassing, yelling, intimidating, and filming not only our just released former political prisoners but others,” Waltz stated, emphasizing U.S. claims of exposing Cuban government propaganda.
Cuba’s ambassador countered, accusing the U.S. of acting as an “international delinquent” by imposing collective punishment on its population during an impromptu gathering near the U.S. mission. The dispute coincides with Cuba’s worsening economic crisis, attributed by Havana to prolonged U.S. sanctions and a recent oil blockade.
The embargo, in place for over six decades, has intensified under the Trump administration, which also deployed military forces in January to remove Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. While the UN vote holds limited legal weight, it reinforces global sentiment against the sanctions, which Cuba blames for its severe economic downturn, including infrastructure collapse and food shortages.
Former Cuban President Raúl Castro recently described Cuba as a “failed state,” with Trump asserting that “freedom will be coming” to the nation. The country’s electrical grid suffered a catastrophic failure last month, leaving millions without power and highlighting the humanitarian impact of the ongoing isolation.