On Friday, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations, responded with sarcasm to U.S. diplomat Jeff Bartos. This came after Bartos was seen reading the book The Double Life of Fidel Castro during a speech by Cuba's foreign minister at the General Assembly. Soberón labeled the work as "cheap fiction" in a post on X.
"A free tip for the U.S. Mission at the UN: if Jeff Bartos spent his time educating himself instead of reading cheap novels—and at least read the General Assembly's rules and the UN delegate manual—he might be able to advise his boss to make fewer missteps on the international stage," Soberón wrote, accompanying his message with a photo of three official UN documents on the Cuban delegation's table in the chamber.
The incident with Bartos, the U.S. representative for UN Management and Reform, occurred on October 28 as Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla delivered his speech during the annual debate on the embargo. Bartos's action was a deliberate political gesture to highlight the contrast between the Cuban elite's privileges and the regime's official rhetoric.
Revelations from a Former Insider
Authored by Juan Reinaldo Sánchez, Fidel Castro's former bodyguard of 17 years, alongside French journalist Axel Gyldén, the book was released in English in 2015. It portrays a private life starkly different from Castro's austere public image: over 20 residences, four yachts, a hunting reserve, and exclusive use of Cayo Piedra—an island equipped with a floating restaurant, dolphinarium, and a pier for his personal vessel, the Aquarama II, adorned with exotic Angolan woods.
Heightened Diplomatic Tensions
This episode was part of a week marked by intense diplomatic friction between Cuba and the U.S. at the UN. On October 27, Ambassador Michael Waltz displayed photos of Rolex watches reportedly belonging to Fidel Castro, valued at around $40,000, and luxury accessories linked to Miguel Díaz-Canel, including Hermès ties and Montblanc pens. The Cuban delegation made at least three procedural motions to interrupt the presentation, but the Assembly's president rejected them, briefly suspending the session to restore order.
The following day, the General Assembly approved for the 34th consecutive year a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba, though it gained the lowest support in three decades: 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, compared to 187 votes in 2024 and 165 in 2025.
Diplomatic Showdown Continues
Countries that voted against included the United States, Israel, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Paraguay. Chile, Honduras, and Peru, which had supported the resolution the previous year, chose to abstain this time.
The U.S. diplomatic offensive did not start in the Assembly hall. On October 19, Cuban diplomats led by Soberón clashed with Waltz outside a forum organized by the U.S. mission with Cuban dissidents and former political prisoners, shouting "liars!" and "end the blockade!"
Bartos had been leading a systematic campaign at the UN against the Cuban leadership's privileges since August. He reported to the Security Council that the military conglomerate GAESA and its subsidiaries allegedly held over $18 billion in foreign bank accounts, according to journalistic reports, while the Cuban population faces food shortages and chronic power outages.
Insights into the UN Diplomatic Dispute on Cuba's Privileges
What book was Jeff Bartos reading at the UN?
Jeff Bartos was reading The Double Life of Fidel Castro, written by former bodyguard Juan Reinaldo Sánchez and journalist Axel Gyldén.
How did Ernesto Soberón respond to Bartos's actions?
Ernesto Soberón mocked Bartos's actions by calling the book "cheap fiction" and suggested that Bartos should spend his time learning about UN procedures instead.
What was the outcome of the UN vote on the U.S. embargo against Cuba?
The UN General Assembly approved the resolution to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba for the 34th consecutive year, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions.