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The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, demanded a "firmer stance" from the international community regarding the crisis in Cuba and rejected both military intervention and humanitarian aid as solutions, advocating for "political" support as a way out for the island.
According to the agency EFE, Noboa made these statements during an event at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, on the last of two days of his official visit to the U.S. capital.
"I'm not too optimistic about this. I believe the international community must take a stronger stance on this issue. There's a difference between respecting how politics are conducted in another country and just sitting back while people are dying of hunger," the leader stated.
When asked about calls from the right for military intervention and from the left for humanitarian support, Noboa dismissed both options with a straightforward argument: "Humanitarian aid, while keeping the same military regime intact, does not seem to me to be the solution. So I advocate for political aid; it's the ideal middle ground."
Noboa acknowledged that he is not optimistic about a peaceful exit from the regime, though he expressed hope that the leaders in Havana would relinquish power without violence.
His words come in a context of maximum pressure from the Trump administration on Cuba. On May 2, Trump signed an executive order that expands sanctions on sectors such as energy, defense, mining, and finance, adding over 240 new sanctions since January 2026. Trump himself stated that the United States “will take Cuba almost immediately” after completing operations in Iran.
The humanitarian crisis on the island exacerbates the situation. According to the Food Monitor Program, 96.91% of the Cuban population lacked adequate access to food in April 2026, and one in three families experienced hunger in 2025.
The most direct diplomatic background between Noboa and the Cuban regime is the break in March 2026, when Ecuador expelled all the Cuban diplomatic mission in Quito, accusing Havana of "significant interference" in political and violent activities in the country.
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez then responded by accusing Noboa of "cynically lying" and displaying "evident servility" towards Washington.
At the same event hosted by the Atlantic Council, Noboa also spoke about Venezuela and called for "free elections" following the ousting of Nicolás Maduro by the United States in January 2026 and the rise of Delcy Rodríguez as acting president.
"She actually doesn't like me, which I see as a positive thing. I just hope that free elections are held in Venezuela in the coming years," he said, adding that the Venezuelan people "simply need a chance to decide their own future. That's democracy."
Noboa will conclude his visit to Washington today with a speech before the Organization of American States and meetings at the Inter-American Development Bank, in an agenda that coincides with President Trump's trip to China.
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