The well-known Cuban comedian Ulises Toirac has responded with his characteristic wit to the uproar caused by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla during the United Nations General Assembly. In a succinct 30-second commentary, Toirac encapsulated the sentiments of countless Cubans: resorting to yelling and physical aggression is the clearest indication of having no valid arguments.
"Typically, when violence is used, it's because there are no arguments," Toirac shared on Facebook.
In a video that has garnered over 87,000 views, he coined a cutting term for the incident: "la diplochancleta," a satirical blend of diplomacy and flip-flop, perfectly capturing the crude approach of the Cuban delegation on the world stage.
Toirac humorously critiqued the scene at the UN, suggesting that if the Cuban cultural repertoire were better known, the President of the General Assembly might have responded to Rodríguez with a lyric from an old Cuban song: "Don't shout at me, for it adds no weight to your words."
The comedian's remarks were triggered by one of the most chaotic events in recent memory at the General Assembly.
On Tuesday, amid the annual debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba, U.S. Representative Mike Waltz displayed photos of Fidel Castro's $40,000 Rolex watches and properties owned by the Castro family, including the private island Cayo Piedra with a floating restaurant and dolphin lagoon, a 14,000-square-meter beach retreat in Varadero, and a 50-meter yacht in the Mediterranean.
Waltz also referenced a Miami Herald investigation attributing $18 billion in profits and $14 billion in secret accounts to the military conglomerate GAESA.
In response to these revelations, Rodríguez and other Cuban delegates left their seats and approached the podium, prompting Assembly President Khalilur Rahman to suspend the session and instruct the foreign minister to return to his seat.
The confrontation escalated when Richard Tur de la Concepción, the first secretary of the Cuban mission, attempted to snatch the phone from Waltz's spokesperson, J.P. Freire, and swatted at him. This altercation was captured on video and shared by Waltz on social media.
Washington reacted swiftly: Secretary of State Marco Rubio expedited the paperwork to expel Tur de la Concepción from the United States. "He's leaving. He'll be on a flight to Havana within 24 hours," Waltz announced on Fox News.
Despite the spectacle, the annual resolution against the embargo passed on Wednesday with just 130 votes in favor—the lowest tally since 1995—compared to 165 in 2025 and 187 in 2024, marking a drop of 57 votes over two years, highlighting the regime's increasing diplomatic isolation.
Cuban intellectuals reacted strongly. Historian Alina Bárbara López Hernández deemed Rodríguez's behavior "a disgrace," accusing the regime of exporting "acts of repudiation" internationally. Writer Wendy Guerra boldly questioned, "Are your arguments really this weak today?"
Understanding the UN Incident Involving Cuba
What triggered the confrontation at the UN involving Cuba?
The incident was sparked during a debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba when U.S. Representative Mike Waltz presented incriminating evidence of lavish assets linked to the Castro family and economic gains by GAESA, provoking a disruptive response from the Cuban delegation.
How did the United States respond to the incident at the UN?
The U.S. responded by expelling Richard Tur de la Concepción, a Cuban diplomat involved in the altercation, from the country. The decision was swiftly executed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio facilitating the process.