Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denounced the "ruthless" US embargo against the communist island during a UN General Assembly debate on Tuesday, which proceeded despite diplomatic pressure from Washington to prevent it.
Rodriguez Condemns 'Non-Conventional Warfare'
"The government of the United States is carrying out against Cuba a multi-dimensional, non-conventional warfare that has already lasted for almost seven decades now and has become ever more cruel and more ruthless during the last seven months," Rodriguez told the body. He slammed the blockade's "collective punishment" of the population, adding, "Paying attention to this ruthless crime is also a responsibility of the United Nations."
Record Economic Damage Cited
According to Rodriguez, the damage wrought by the embargo during the period from March 2025 through February 2026 amounts to a record $8 billion, a seven percent increase over the same period one year earlier. He noted that these figures do not include the "extreme impact" of the fuel blockade the US imposed on Cuba in February.
Traditional Support Shows Signs of Erosion
Most regional blocs, including countries in Africa and the Caribbean, expressed their support for Cuba on Tuesday and condemned the US blockade. Each year since 1992, the General Assembly has adopted by a large majority a non-binding resolution calling for the lifting of the blockade imposed on Cuba by the US. However, support weakened slightly last October, when 165 member states voted in favor and seven against, with a dozen abstentions. Tuesday's procedural vote on whether to hold the debate signaled potential further erosion, with 136 in favor, nine against, and 30 abstentions — including traditional supporters Germany and Canada.
US Rejects Claims of Blockade
US Ambassador Mike Waltz insisted from the podium, "There is no American blockade. The only embargo in Cuba is the guillotine the regime keeps over the heads of its people." The debate and eventual resolution are non-binding but carry symbolic weight in the annual diplomatic showdown over US policy toward Cuba.
