During an open debate at the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace, and Security, Cuba's ambassador to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, attributed the hardships faced by women in Cuba to the U.S. embargo. This statement contrasts with recent admissions by President Miguel Díaz-Canel regarding internal issues.
Soberón told the international body that "Cuban women today suffer the consequences of a reinforced blockade at extreme levels, with an energy siege and the enforcement of so-called secondary sanctions." He argued that these measures have limited access to medications, medical technologies, and hospital equipment.
The diplomat warned that more than 32,880 pregnant women face increased risks due to these policies—a figure introduced by the Ministry of Public Health in February and frequently cited by the regime in various international forums, despite lacking validation from independent organizations.
"The intensification of this policy imposes a disproportionate burden on women, especially amid significant energy challenges and shortages of basic resources," Soberón declared to the Security Council.
However, this narrative clashes with what Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged on Thursday during an Extraordinary Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party: "There are obstacles that do not come from outside nor from the embargo. There is slowness, bureaucracy, regulations that hinder those who want to produce, and decisions we have postponed."
This rare self-criticism from the Cuban leader, made just hours after his ambassador solely blamed Washington at the UN, highlights a central contradiction in the official discourse: internally, the regime admits its own inefficiencies; externally, it projects a narrative that blames the embargo for everything.
The health crisis affecting Cuban women is both real and documented. Maternal mortality nearly doubled between 2023 and 2025, rising from 37.4 to 56.3 per 100,000 live births. The national infant mortality rate ended 2025 at 9.9 per 1,000 live births, a 148% increase since 2018.
Díaz-Canel acknowledged on June 5 to the Spanish outlet elDiario.es that over 100,000 patients are on surgical waiting lists, including more than 12,000 children, and that approximately 67% of essential medications are in short supply.
Activists, independent economists, and the president's own statements indicate that the health system's collapse is also due to decades of mismanagement, massive medical staff exodus, infrastructure deterioration, and delayed structural reforms—factors the regime consistently omits when addressing international organizations.
Soberón also used his platform at the Security Council to denounce the situation of Palestinian women and reaffirm Cuba's willingness to engage in dialogue. However, he warned that "a military aggression will be met with strong resistance from our people, including women."
The Cuban head of state admitted that the measures approved at the Communist Party's Extraordinary Plenum on Wednesday "are not new ideas; they are decisions that the country discussed and approved years ago," adding that "the mistake was not in proposing them, but in having postponed them."
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cuban Embargo and Internal Issues
What did Ernesto Soberón Guzmán blame for the hardships faced by Cuban women?
Ernesto Soberón Guzmán blamed the U.S. embargo for the hardships faced by Cuban women, citing its impact on access to medications, medical technologies, and hospital equipment.
How did President Díaz-Canel's statements differ from Soberón's?
President Díaz-Canel admitted that internal issues such as slowness, bureaucracy, and postponed decisions also contribute to Cuba's problems, which contrasts with Soberón's exclusive blame on the embargo.
What is the current state of Cuba's health crisis?
Cuba is experiencing a severe health crisis, with maternal and infant mortality rates rising significantly and over 100,000 patients on surgical waiting lists, including shortages in essential medications.