Diplomatic Clash Between Díaz-Canel and Washington Ahead of UN Embargo Vote

The diplomatic battle between Havana and Washington erupted on social media this Thursday, as Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau engaged in a public exchange on X (formerly Twitter). The discussion centered on the upcoming United Nations General Assembly vote, which will once again address the resolution against the U.S. embargo on Cuba.

Díaz-Canel accused, "The U.S. government pressures and deceives several countries to change their traditional position against the blockade," echoing the sentiments of Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla from his recent press conference in Havana.

He continued by saying, "They fear what will happen: the overwhelming majority of the international community's rejection of their genocidal and economically suffocating policy against Cuba," reiterating his role as the first secretary of the Communist Party.

Just a few hours later, the American official responded with an unusually blunt message.

"Even you must not believe your increasingly brazen lies. There is no 'blockade' of your country; if there were, how would all that Mexican oil and those German and Canadian tourists get there?" Landau retorted, targeting the leader of Cuba's so-called "continuity."

He further challenged, "The only genocide there is the one you commit against your own people, subjecting them to hunger and misery through your communist policies. And speaking of votes, if you're so proud of your achievements over the past 66 years, why not let your own people vote?"

Landau's message, as Deputy Secretary of State and a close associate of Marco Rubio in the State Department, made a significant media splash, highlighting the toughening stance of Washington against the Cuban regime.

Heightened Diplomatic Tensions

This exchange unfolds just days before the annual vote on the resolution titled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba," scheduled for October 28 and 29 at the United Nations General Assembly.

However, this year, the context has shifted significantly. Washington has launched a global strategy to break the nearly unanimous support Cuba has enjoyed for decades, now linked to the scandal of Cuban mercenaries serving Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

A leaked diplomatic cable by Reuters revealed that the State Department has instructed its embassies to persuade allied governments to vote against or abstain, arguing that the Cuban regime is an "active accomplice of Russian aggression" and "uses its citizens as pawns of war."

Cracking the 'Blockade' Narrative

Landau's response also demonstrated Washington's shift in communication, aiming to dismantle the "genocidal blockade" narrative with tangible evidence: the United States remains a key supplier of food, medicines, and essential goods to Cuba, despite the sanctions.

According to figures from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2024 alone, Cuba imported over $370 million worth of U.S. agricultural products, including chicken, wheat, and corn, while trade in medical and pharmaceutical supplies remained steady.

Furthermore, Cuban small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) import cars, trucks, motorcycles, and containers full of appliances, machinery, spare parts, and technology from NATO countries without real barriers, debunking the myth of total isolation.

In contrast, the island enforces domestic prohibitions, censorship, a strict exchange control, and bureaucratic obstacles that stifle its own private sector. For Washington—and much of the international community—the real blockade is internal: a political system that prevents economic and political freedom for its citizens.

Regional Geopolitical Shifts

The diplomatic dispute also mirrors a geopolitical reordering in the hemisphere. Since returning to power, President Donald Trump has promoted a sphere of influence doctrine aimed at containing regimes aligned with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran in Latin America.

In recent weeks, the Southern Command has conducted naval maneuvers in the Caribbean alongside the Dominican Republic and Barbados and strengthened its presence off the Venezuelan coast.

The regime of Nicolás Maduro—source of the subsidized oil sustaining Cuba—is under increasing international pressure for its connections to drug trafficking, while Nicaragua faces sanctions for human rights violations and cooperation with Russia and Iran.

This hostile regional environment leaves Havana with little room to maneuver and a palpable fear: that the UN may cease to be the stage where their victim narrative garners applause and instead becomes the venue where their isolation is measured.

A Coded Message

Landau's response not only dismantled the embargo narrative but also highlighted the change in U.S. foreign policy tone: from passive containment to directly blaming the regime for national poverty and political repression.

While Díaz-Canel continues to blame Washington for the crisis, the evidence points inward.

As the UN vote approaches, the Twitter exchange between the two officials encapsulates the stakes in the diplomatic arena:

Cuba strives to keep the "genocidal blockade" myth alive; the United States, however, aims to prove that the only blockade in existence is the one the totalitarian regime imposes on its own people.