Brief
US and Cuba spar at UN as Washington pushes to block embargo condemnation
Washington staged a “Cuba Libre” panel at the UN, urging nations to reject the annual resolution condemning the US embargo, while Cuba denounced the event as a charade.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Monday at the United Nations, the United States and Cuba confronted each other over the upcoming General Assembly vote on the long‑standing resolution condemning the US economic embargo on Havana, according to an AP report cited by News18.
What happened
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz organized a “Cuba Libre” panel that featured dissidents and former prisoners who described alleged detentions, torture and persecution by Cuban authorities. The panel was held in the UN headquarters and included graphic footage of purported Cuban citizens being detained. A few metres away, Cuban Ambassador to the UN Ernesto Soberón Guzmán gathered diplomats and allies to protest the event, calling it a “charade”.
What the reports add
The article notes that this is the second consecutive year the Trump administration has mounted a campaign to influence the vote, which has been held annually for 34 years. Last year’s vote recorded 165 votes in favour, seven against and 12 abstentions, with Argentina, Ukraine and Hungary opposing for the first time. The resolution, while not legally binding, signals global opinion on the embargo.
What was said
Waltz told delegates, “This is the oppression that Havana wants to hide,” urging countries to look past “70 years of propaganda” and vote against the resolution. Guzmán responded, “This charade is an attempt to deviate attention from a simple fact: The US is acting as an international delinquent, enforcing collective punishment on the people of Cuba.”
How it came about
The US embargo was first imposed in 1960 after Fidel Castro’s revolution nationalised US‑owned assets. Relations were partially restored in 2015 under President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro, and the US abstained from the embargo‑related vote in 2016. Since 2020, Cuba has faced a severe economic and energy crisis, a situation documented in Felo’s earlier report on the island’s fuel shortages (cuba-fuel-shortage). The current US push aligns with broader pressure tactics, including fuel restrictions that have deepened blackouts and limited basic services on the island.
Key facts
- US Ambassador Mike Waltz hosted a "Cuba Libre" panel at the UN featuring dissidents and former prisoners. (news18.com)
- Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán protested the panel, calling it a charade. (news18.com)
- The annual UN vote on condemning the US embargo has been held for 34 years; last year it passed 165‑7 with 12 abstentions. (news18.com)
- Washington seeks to persuade countries to vote against the resolution in the upcoming meeting. (news18.com)
- The US embargo began in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution and was partially eased in 2015. (news18.com)
Sources
- [1] news18.com — originally reported as “US, Cuba clash at UN as Washington seeks to sway annual vote on economic embargo”
