Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the United States of waging multidimensional and non-conventional warfare against Cuba, highlighting that this campaign has lasted nearly seven decades and intensified in recent months. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly debate focused on ending the US economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba, Rodriguez described the sanctions as increasingly ruthless and intended to destabilize the island nation.
Rodriguez detailed how the latest US efforts have gone beyond traditional sanctions, involving severe extraterritorial measures aimed at provoking a humanitarian crisis. He warned these actions have sharply worsened the living conditions of Cubans, restricted access to essential resources, and violated the human rights of the Cuban people through collective punishment. According to the minister, the total damage caused by the embargo since its inception is estimated at $178.7 billion in current dollars.
The Cuban official also condemned repeated threats of military aggression issued by US officials, dismissing Washington’s claim that the embargo is not directed against the Cuban population. He challenged these assertions by urging the international community to listen to Cubans about the toll of the sanctions on their daily lives. Rodriguez called on the UN to uphold its founding principles and international law, emphasizing Cuba’s commitment to peace, multilateralism, and justice.
In response, the US representative to the UN, Jeffrey Bartos, opposed reopening the agenda item on Cuba’s embargo, labeling the debate a wasteful expenditure of UN resources. Nonetheless, the General Assembly approved the motion to proceed with the discussion, with overwhelming support from member states despite some opposition and abstentions.
Rodriguez concluded by asserting that Cuba poses no threat to the United States, but instead is the country under threat itself. He framed the US measures as part of a broader pattern of violating international norms and cautioned that what Cuba endures could happen to other nations, urging the defense of the UN Charter and international law.