The Cuban government delivered a message of confrontation and, at the same time, openness from the UN this Monday.
Before the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez warned in his statement that the island will “defend with the utmost vigor and courage” its sovereignty against what he described as a deliberate attempt at economic suffocation by Washington.
Nevertheless, she stated that there is also a "willingness for dialogue with the United States" under specific conditions.
At the most emphatic moment of the speech, Rodríguez declared:
“The Cuban people will defend with the utmost vigor and courage, in close unity and broad consensus, their right to self-determination, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order.”
The warning came after denouncing the executive order signed on January 29 by the U.S. president, which -according to Havana- seeks to provoke an energy crisis by threatening tariffs on countries that export oil to Cuba.
“The executive order of January twenty-ninth from the president of the United States declares collective punishment against the Cuban people and aims to create a humanitarian catastrophe through an energy blockade,” the chancellor noted.
Rodríguez took the accusation to its extreme by asking:
"Can a great power allow itself to attempt to destroy a small nation of peace, provoke a humanitarian tragedy, ravage its national culture, and subject a noble and supportive people to genocide under the crude pretext of national security?"
Although he acknowledged that the scenario will involve costs for the population, he insisted that the country will endure.
"We will prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, even though we will go through hardships and suffering," he added.
"Even in the worst-case scenario, we will persist, we will find creative solutions to all difficulties, and we will mitigate humanitarian damage," he emphasized.
"We produce almost half of the crude oil that we consume, we have refining capacity, and we are making significant and efficient investments in solar energy."
And he appealed to the historical narrative of resistance: "With suffering, three generations of Cubans have overcome the United States blockade for more than sixty years."
The contrast: Dialogue "without preconditions"
However, beneath the tone of denunciation and firmness, the chancellor left a door open for diplomacy.
“We will also be willing to engage in dialogue with the United States based on sovereign equality and international law, mutual respect, and reciprocal benefit, without preconditions or interference in internal matters,” he said.
He emphasized that this dialogue should aim to: “Achieve a civilized relationship despite our differences and even promote cooperation in areas where it is possible.” The formulation combines a warning with a condition: Cuba claims to be willing to engage in conversation, but only within a framework of “sovereign equality” and without accepting political demands.
A narrative of global confrontation
He referred to a scenario characterized by the modernization of nuclear arsenals, the integration of emerging technologies into weapon systems, "aggressive militaristic rhetoric," and the increase in military spending "to the detriment of Official Development Assistance."
Rodríguez framed the conflict within a broader critique of the role of the United States on the international stage.
"A dictatorship has emerged in the globalized world," he said at the beginning of his intervention, emphasizing that "the order established after the Second World War to prevent a third is being destroyed."
"The philosophy of dispossession is proclaimed as the exceptional and supreme right of the United States of America to conquest and the use of force," he criticized.
He also questioned the use of "tariffs as an instrument of aggression" and the "extraterritorial application of laws and the jurisdiction of U.S. courts."
In this context, he stated that "all nation-states are at risk" and expressed support for protests in the United States by saying: "We admire the people of Minnesota in their community resistance."
A dual-track discourse
The Cuban message to the UN combined warnings of resistance against what it describes as economic aggression with an offer for dialogue under strict conditions.
Havana insists that Washington is trying to provoke a humanitarian collapse through energy pressure, while stating that it is willing to engage in dialogue if its terms are respected.
In practice, the situation continues to be marked by public tensions, rhetorical exchanges, and limited contacts in technical areas, with no clear signs of comprehensive normalization.
Meanwhile, the Cuban government is preparing the population for the indefinite extension of a period of "deprivations and suffering," while promising to find "creative solutions" to prevent a larger crisis.
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