Moment US, Cuban officials clash in shouting match at United Nations General Assembly
United States and Cuban officials engaged in a heated shouting match at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, escalating tensions between the longtime adversaries over Washington’s intensifying economic pressure on Havana according to CBC.
The confrontation began after Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, took the podium to oppose an annual resolution scheduled for a vote later this week condemning Washington’s decades-long economic embargo against Cuba.
As Waltz outlined allegations of corruption against Cuba’s socialist government, members of the Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, began banging on their designated table and shouting for a point of order.
Amid efforts by UN officials to restore order, Rodríguez Parrilla walked down the aisle towards the head of the General Assembly and shouted at Waltz, “You are a liar!”
Waltz responded, “You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up.”
The exchange marked a departure from the diplomatic decorum traditionally associated with the UN and reflected growing tensions as US President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its economic campaign to force political changes in Cuba.
The Caribbean nation, already grappling with prolonged economic and financial difficulties, faces further pressure following Trump’s announcement in late January that tariffs would be imposed on any country supplying or selling oil to Cuba.
The warning has effectively cut off fuel supplies to the island, contributing to widespread power outages that disrupt essential services, including cooking, water supply, internet access and telephone communications.
Cuban officials have also repeatedly criticised Washington for demanding that the country open its economy to private investment while imposing sanctions that hinder the economic reforms the US has advocated for decades.
Tuesday’s confrontation came a week after another tense exchange between Waltz and his Cuban counterpart, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, outside a US-hosted panel featuring Cuban dissidents and former prisoners. The event focused on allegations of oppressive conduct by Cuba’s government.
Waltz and other US officials have been using public events and meetings at the world body to persuade UN member states to oppose the annual resolution on Wednesday. The measure seeks to condemn the US government’s “maximum pressure policy” against Cuba.
For 34 years, the resolution has received overwhelming support from UN member states. Last year, it passed with 165 votes in favour, seven against and 12 abstentions. Argentina, Ukraine and Hungary opposed the measure for the first time.
Canada has consistently supported the annual resolution. Earlier this year, Global Affairs Canada announced $5.5 million in additional assistance for Cubans, following $8 million in accelerated funding provided in February to expand food aid to the country.
Although the resolutions are not legally binding, they reflect international opinion on the issue.