Overview
- The General Assembly debate on Tuesday featured a loud confrontation between U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez that briefly halted the session.
- U.S. delegates publicly urged members to reject the resolution, denied Washington is imposing a maritime-style blockade, and highlighted U.S. commercial shipments to Cuba this year.
- Cuba presented official figures saying the embargo cost $8.056 billion from March 2025 to February 2026 and more than $178.7 billion over six decades while accusing the United States of an energy blockade since January that has worsened fuel shortages and blackouts.
- The text is nonbinding and has routinely passed since 1992, but last year’s weaker result of 165 in favor, 7 against and 12 abstentions and active U.S. lobbying make the October 28 vote less certain than usual.
- The dispute matters for everyday Cubans because officials link the measures to power cuts, fuel and water shortages, and rising hardship, and the UN tally on Wednesday will signal whether regional and global alignments are shifting.