During a special session of the General Assembly called at Havana's request, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, delivered a fierce critique of the Cuban regime on Tuesday. He encapsulated the island government's approach in one sentence: "Blaming the United States is the only economic plan Havana has; it’s all they have left."
The session was set to discuss the initiation of a formal debate on the U.S. embargo. However, Waltz turned the tables from the outset: "There’s been much talk about the blockade today, and indeed there is a blockade before us all: the ruthless blockade the Cuban regime imposes on its own people, decade after decade."
His remarks coincided with Cuba experiencing its third total electrical system collapse in 2026, beginning on Monday with a generation shortfall of 2,230 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW. Waltz didn’t miss the irony: "What a surprise: there always seems to be light and electricity for the regime, for the dictatorship. Right now, there’s electricity in the Castro family’s complex; there, there is light."
The ambassador challenged the assembly on how there could be no fuel for hospitals but enough for the Castro family's private jet, and how the Cuban president can afford a Hermès tie, a Rolex watch, or a Montblanc pen.
Highlighting Political Prisoners and Economic Control
Waltz also denounced that GAESA, the military conglomerate controlling about 70% of the Cuban economy, manages an $18 billion trust fund from which "not a cent goes to the Cuban people."
He named several political prisoners before the global delegates: Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, jailed for "artistic expression"; Fernando Almadévez Rivera, a musician imprisoned for writing songs demanding freedom; Miguel Castillo Pérez, a rapper in maximum security prison; Duanes León Tovero, a poet sentenced to 14 years; and brothers Jorge and Martín Perdomo, whose detention was condemned by the UN. "They are not violent, they have no weapons. They carry flowers and write poetry and songs, and that’s why the regime tries to crush them by imprisoning them," Waltz declared.
Clashes and Rebuttals at the Assembly
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla interrupted the American diplomat twice with procedural motions, both of which the Assembly president dismissed.
In his initial interruption, Rodríguez labeled Waltz a "liar" and remarked that the UN "is not a Green Beret camp," comments which were recorded in the meeting’s minutes.
Waltz also disputed the "total blockade" narrative, highlighting that ships leave Florida ports with $500 million in goods bound for Cuba, and that countries like China, Russia, Spain, Mexico, and the UN itself have sent humanitarian aid to the island without hindrance.
"There is no U.S. blockade. The only embargo is the guillotine the regime holds over its own citizens’ heads," he proclaimed.
He further condemned that thousands of Cubans are forced to fight in Ukraine, with their wages going "directly to the regime," and described the export of doctors as a "slave trade" where the government retains salaries and threatens workers' families.
Outcome and Final Call to Action
Despite Washington's opposition, the Assembly approved the debate's opening with 136 votes in favor, nine against, and 30 abstentions—noticeably lower than the 165 votes Cuba received in the 2025 annual vote, marking the worst outcome in over thirty years.
Waltz ended his address with a direct appeal to the delegates: "The world does not need to help the Cuban government hide its greed, its corruption, and its incompetence. The time has come to make a choice."
US-Cuba Relations and Economic Implications
What is the main accusation made by the U.S. against Cuba?
The U.S. accuses Cuba of using the United States as a scapegoat for its economic failures, claiming that blaming the U.S. is Havana's only economic strategy.
What did Mike Waltz say about the Cuban electrical system collapse?
Mike Waltz pointed out the irony that while Cuba faces a total electrical system collapse, there always seems to be power available for the regime and its leaders.
How does the U.S. view Cuba's export of medical professionals?
The U.S. criticizes Cuba's export of medical professionals as a form of modern-day slavery, with the regime retaining the salaries and threatening the families of the workers.