The United States Embassy in Cuba issued a strong response on Wednesday to the Cuban regime's delegation's behavior during the UN General Assembly debate on the embargo, echoing the words of Ambassador Mike Waltz.
"When faced with challenging questions about their corrupt failures and blatant hypocrisy, the Cuban regime can only resort to banging tables and physical intimidation. Their outbursts are unacceptable and only highlight the fraud they commit against their own people and the world," the diplomatic mission emphasized on social media.
The incident prompting this statement occurred Tuesday when Waltz addressed the General Assembly to discuss the privileges enjoyed by Cuba's ruling elite.
As Waltz spoke, members of the Cuban delegation banged their tables and raised points of order, while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla physically approached the podium to protest to Assembly President Khalilur Rahman, who was forced to briefly suspend the session.
Waltz remained undeterred. "This is the United Nations. It is not your communist dictatorship. You cannot silence me," he retorted amid the interruptions. Rodríguez Parrilla, meanwhile, dismissed the intervention as a "media circus" and circulated a video of the confrontation on social media, portraying it as a defense of Cuban dignity.
However, what the Cuban foreign minister attempted to frame as a diplomatic triumph was starkly undermined the following day by the voting results.
The resolution calling for an end to the embargo was approved on Wednesday with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, marking the worst outcome for Cuba since it began presenting this initiative in 1992. In 2025, it had received 165 favorable votes with only seven against; in 2024, 187 in favor and just two opposed.
The decline in international support coincides with the Trump administration's strategy of showcasing the luxuries of the Cuban elite at the UN, countering Havana's claims about the embargo's impact on the population.
Waltz presented images of Rolex watches allegedly linked to Fidel Castro—valued at around $40,000—Hermès ties and Montblanc pens associated with Díaz-Canel, a 14,000-square-meter residence belonging to the Castro family, a 50-meter yacht, and a private island with 20 houses and a dolphin lagoon.
The ambassador also scrutinized the finances of the military conglomerate GAESA, attributing $18 billion in profits and $14 billion in cash held in secret accounts, according to a study by the Miami Herald, while the Cuban population suffers from power outages and chronic shortages.
This stark contrast between the nomenclature's privileges and the people's misery is well-documented.
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights estimated in August 2026 that 94% of the population lives in extreme poverty—compared to 61% four years earlier—based on over 1,300 interviews conducted in 79 municipalities across 15 provinces. Eight out of ten Cubans reported skipping at least one meal due to a lack of money or food, and 68% of households reported incomes below 20,000 pesos per month.
Waltz concluded his speech with a direct warning to the regime: the Cuban people will achieve freedom "one way or another" during Donald Trump's presidency.
Understanding the Impact of the Cuban Regime's Actions at the UN
What prompted the United States Embassy in Cuba to issue a statement?
The statement was a response to the Cuban delegation's disruptive behavior during the UN General Assembly debate on the embargo.
How did the Cuban delegation react to Ambassador Waltz's speech?
Members of the Cuban delegation banged their tables and raised points of order, while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla confronted the podium in protest.
What was the outcome of the UN vote on the embargo resolution?
The resolution was approved with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, marking a decrease in support for Cuba.