165-7: Vote Looms as U.S. and Cuba Trade Insults at UN
Ambassador Mike Waltz told the Cuban delegation to "back up" on Tuesday, a day before the General Assembly votes on the annual resolution condemning the U.S. embargo.
By Andres Paredes ·
A shouting match erupted on the United Nations General Assembly floor on Tuesday as U.S. and Cuban officials clashed over the upcoming vote on the annual embargo resolution.
The dispute began when U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz took the podium to argue against the resolution, which has condemned the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba for 34 years. As Waltz listed alleged corruption in the Cuban government, members of the Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, slammed their tables and demanded a point of order.
Rodriguez Parrilla walked down the aisle to the head of the chamber and yelled at Waltz, "You are a liar!" Waltz responded, "You understand who you're dealing with? This is America. Back up."
The incident follows a similar confrontation one week prior. On that occasion, Waltz and Cuban official Ernesto Soberon Guzman engaged in a public spat outside a U.S.-hosted panel featuring Cuban dissidents and former prisoners.
Tensions between the two nations have risen as the Trump administration intensifies its economic campaign against Havana. In late January, President Donald Trump announced tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba. That move has effectively cut off fuel to the island, causing widespread power outages that disrupt cooking, water supply, and internet services.
Cuban officials argue that Washington’s demands for private investment are contradicted by the ongoing pile-up of sanctions. The U.S. delegation is working to persuade member states to oppose the measure on Wednesday. In the last annual vote, 165 countries supported the resolution, seven opposed it, and 12 abstained. Canada has consistently voted in favor and recently provided $5.5 million in new support to Cubans, following $8 million in accelerated food aid funds given in February.
The resolution is not legally binding, but it reflects the prevailing opinion of the international community regarding the U.S. "maximum pressure policy" against the Caribbean nation.
Source: CBC News
