US and Cuba Clash at UN Over Embargo

The US and Cuba clashed at the United Nations ahead of an upcoming annual vote condemning Washington's decades-long economic embargo against Havana. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz held a panel with dissidents, while Cuba's UN Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán condemned the event.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz held a panel titled "Cuba Libre" featuring former prisoners and dissidents to highlight the Havana administration's repressive policies. Footage reportedly showing Cuban citizens detained was shown at the event, and participants stated they had faced years of torture and persecution for criticizing the government. The Havana government has long denied holding political prisoners, but activist groups report that thousands have been imprisoned on political grounds. In his speech at the event, Waltz asked countries to look beyond 70 years of propaganda and vote against the resolution in next week's vote.

Cuba's UN Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán reacted to the situation by bringing together diplomats from around the world, stating that the event was a fabricated initiative against Cuba. Guzmán stated that this theater was an effort to conceal the actual truth and said the US was imposing collective punishment against the Cuban people. The UN General Assembly vote criticizing the Trump administration's maximum pressure policy toward Cuba has been held annually for the past 34 years and receives the support of the vast majority of member states. Last year's vote was adopted with 165 votes in favor, 7 against, and 12 abstentions.

The US embargo against Cuba was enacted in 1960 following the revolution led by Fidel Castro that overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista and the nationalization of properties belonging to US citizens and companies. In 2015, then-Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama officially reestablished relations, and the following year the US abstained for the first time in a General Assembly resolution demanding the end of the embargo. Cuba has been struggling with an economic crisis, energy shortages, inflation, and food scarcity since 2020.