Speakers in General Assembly Highlight Impact of United States Embargo on Cuba’s Population, as Caribbean Prepares for Devastation of Hurricane Melissa
As the Caribbean region prepares for the devastation that will be caused by Hurricane Melissa, speakers at the General Assembly’s annual meeting about the embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba highlighted its impact on ordinary citizens’ lives in that country.
"At the heart of this matter are the Cuban people, whose daily lives have been profoundly affected by the embargo," Singapore’s delegate, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said. It has severely constrained Cuba’s imports, exports, and financial transactions, and has affected its ability to access foreign direct investments, purchase fuel supplies and raw materials, and attract tourists. "For ordinary Cubans, this has translated into shortages of essential goods, power outages and difficulties in accessing vital medical services," he pointed out.
The restrictions have also hampered Cuba’s ability to deal effectively with the region’s climate-related natural disasters, "which we are witnessing right now in the region", he added, noting the impending arrival of Hurricane Melissa. "The strongest storm to hit the planet this year", it will make landfall in Jamaica and then head to Cuba, he said.
Cuba Has Suffered 7ドル.5 Billion in Losses from March 2024 to February 2025
The representative of Barbados, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said Cuba has estimated that between March 2024 and February 2025 alone, it has suffered estimated material losses amounting to 7ドル.5 billion — about 20ドル million per day. Such resources "could have been invested in the Cuban people, their health, their education and their economy", he said.
Angola’s delegate outlined how the embargo runs counter to Sustainable Development Goals. By increasing shortage of basic goods in Cuba, it undermines Goal 1: No poverty, while the restrictions on medicine and medical equipment weakens Goal 3: Good health and well-being. By compromising educational programmes and professional development, it undermines Goal 4: Quality education.
Further, the embargo limits job creation and access to international trade, thereby preventing the attainment of Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth, and Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure. Goal 10: Reduced inequalities is weakened because the embargo affects the ability of vulnerable populations to access essential services, while Goal 17: Partnership for the goals is impacted by the restrictions that make it difficult for international organizations and businesses to engage in transactions with Cuba.
"The embargo has a notable impact on the national health system," said Türkiye’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). She highlighted the difficulties encountered in purchasing the materials needed to preserve food and produce medicines. She was among several speakers who expressed support for the draft resolution concerning "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba", which the Assembly will take up tomorrow.
United States, Cuba Trade Accusations
However, the representative of the United States urged delegates to vote against that text or abstain. "Every year since 1992, we have gathered here in this body for what can only be described as political theatre," he said. The Trump Administration wants "to correct the fake news" and "false reality" this vote creates, he said.
During this speech, the representative of Cuba, speaking in a point of order, said his counterpart from the United States was not only lying and substantively deviating from the subject under discussion, but also speaking in a manner grossly disrespectful to his country’s President and the dignity of the General Assembly. He was doing so "in an uncivilized, crude and unacceptable manner that has no place in this democratic forum," he stressed, adding: "Mr. Waltz, this is the United Nations General Assembly — it is not a Signal chat, nor the House of Representatives."
The United States' delegate responded that the Assembly is also not a "communist illegitimate legislature in Havana". "No Government in history has ever made a communist economy work," he continued, also adding: "There’s no blockade. So please stop repeating this propaganda." In 2024, the United States exported more than 585ドル million worth of goods to Cuba, including food, humanitarian aid and medicine, he said. "How is that a blockade?" he asked, adding that Cuba can trade with "any of you, with the entire world".
He went on to state that Cuba "seeks to cast itself as the victim of aggression while plainly describing itself as the enemy of the United States". Located just 90 miles off his country’s shores, its regime "conspires and collaborates with enemies and adversaries of the United States", he said, adding that it supports terrorist organizations around the world, allows mercenaries to fight in the war in Ukraine, props up the Venezuelan regime, and engages in trafficking of people, drugs and weapons.
Speakers Refute United States Claims about Cuba, Urge Lifting of Embargo
Other speakers disagreed on many of those points. "All we know about Cuba is friendship and solidarity, we know nothing about terrorism," Iraq’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said. He highlighted Cuba’s medical cooperation programmes which send healthcare professionals around the world and deliver services. "While some send bombs and weapons, Cuba sends doctors," Venezuela’s delegate said, rejecting the smear campaign against Cuban medical cooperation which "has saved millions of lives, even during the worst stage of the COVID-19 pandemic". In recent weeks, the United States has waged "a series of massacres" sowing terror among the populations of countries in the Caribbean. "Cuba dispatches doctors, the United States dispatches killing," he added.
Guinea-Bissau’s delegate, who spoke for the African Group, noted that the African Union Assembly held in February 2025 reiterated the call for lifting the sanctions on Cuba’s people and Government. "The African Union's commitment to the defence of Cuba is based on the historical ties of solidarity," he said, acknowledging that country’s contribution to the decolonization of his continent and the advancement of key sectors, such as health and education. He was among those who expressed concern about the implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.
The representative of Eritrea, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, also rejected the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in a list of countries falsely accused of terrorism, adding: "Cuba exports solidarity, not violence." The representative of Antigua and Barbuda highlighted Cuba’s vital role in South-South cooperation, stressing that a fully engaged Cuba is "essential to the resilient future of our Caribbean families". He also "strongly objected to the inclusion of Cuba on the list of State sponsors of terrorism".
The Russian Federation’s delegate said the sanctions war unleashed by the United States against Cuba is intended "to achieve its main aim — overthrow a Government it does not favour". This is a blatant example of interference in a State’s internal affairs, he said. "If it weren’t for the blockade, Cuba’s gross domestic product (GDP) would have grown by more than 9 per cent in 2024 — which is one of the highest growth rates in the Western hemisphere," he pointed out. He also highlighted "the extraterritorial application of the sanctions regimes".
The continued persecution of Cuban financial transactions in third-country jurisdictions has had a significant deterrent effect in economic terms, the representative of Uganda, speaking for the Non-Aligned Movement, said. The fact that 187 Member States voted in favour of General Assembly resolution 79/7 reflects the near unanimity of the international community, he said, urging the United States to yield to "the will of the overwhelming majority".
Unilateral Sanctions Undermine Norms of International Law
Several speakers stressed that sanctions undermine the norms of international law, with Belarus’s delegate describing them as direct violations of the rights of Cuban citizens. These unilateral coercive measures have a single goal — to pressure an independent State to change its internal political system, he said.
"Unilateral measures imposed outside the framework of international law remain an affront to the multilateral system and to the spirit of the UN Charter," Kenya’s delegate added, while Iran’s delegate added that they are "rooted in arrogance". These policies "primarily target ordinary people, including women, children, and the elderly — inflicting severe harm on their health, safety, and well-being", he said.
The representative of Bolivia accused the United States of seeking to undermine the historic Cuban revolution and exerting pressure on Havana. Such acts, he said, are "an affront to the United Nations, its Charter and multilateralism". He rejected the "immoral blockade and the systematic smear campaign against Cuba", including its medical cooperation programmes, which have benefited Bolivia.
Along similar lines, China’s delegate said that the United States and a few other Western countries continue to pursue unilateralism, protectionism and bullying practices, refusing to honour their official development assistance (ODA) commitments, trampling on multilateral trade rules and wantonly imposing illegal unilateral sanctions on countries such as Cuba. Since 1992, and for 32 consecutive years, the Assembly has adopted by an overwhelming majority the annual resolution. China, he affirmed, will once again vote in favour of the text.
Kuwait’s delegate called for respect for the sovereignty of States, non-interference in the internal affairs of States and adherence to international law. Her delegation hopes to see diplomatic measures and policies of openness that will build bridges and guarantee regional and international peace, she said.
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .