Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla returned this Monday to hold the United States largely responsible for many of the problems affecting Cuba, this time during a ministerial meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in New York as part of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
In his statements published on social media, Rodríguez accused the government of Donald Trump of trying to impose "the archaic Monroe Doctrine" over Latin America and the Caribbean through what he termed "new and unacceptable corollaries."
The chancellor stated that Washington uses military presence related to the fight against drug trafficking, tariffs against Latin American countries, initiatives that —he claimed— aim to divide the region, and actions intended to undermine its integration mechanisms as "instruments of domination."
Rodríguez also called for defending the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, approved by CELAC in Havana in 2014.
But the focus of his message was once again Cuba.
The head of the regime's diplomacy denounced a supposed "unprecedented strengthening of the U.S. blockade" and listed among its components the so-called "energy siege," secondary sanctions, a "violent media offensive," and an alleged "threat of military aggression."
The statements come amidst a significant escalation of tensions between Havana and Washington. The Trump administration has intensified economic and political pressure on the Cuban regime during 2026, while the island's Foreign Ministry has made the so-called "energy blockade" one of its primary arguments to explain the deepening crisis.
In early September, Rodríguez himself gathered the heads of Cuba's diplomatic missions abroad and again attributed the country's situation to the embargo, secondary sanctions, and U.S. energy restrictions.
The speech, however, contrasts with other international diagnoses regarding the causes of the Cuban crisis.
In July, during the process leading up to the extraordinary debate held at the United Nations, the European Union demanded urgent political and economic reforms in Cuba and pointed out that the issues faced by the population cannot be solely attributed to the sanctions from the United States.
Washington went even further. Its ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, then accused the Cuban government of using the United States as a constant explanation for its economic problems and demanded the release of political prisoners, greater economic freedoms, and respect for the rights of Cubans.
The vote to authorize the extraordinary debate resulted in 136 votes in favor, nine against, and 30 abstentions. Although this was a different procedure from the annual resolution on the embargo, the 30 abstentions were significantly higher than the 12 recorded in October 2025.
Rodríguez then presented the outcome as a "diplomatic victory."
The new offensive from the chancellor comes at a time when millions of Cubans continue to suffer the consequences of the deterioration of the National Electric System, with prolonged blackouts and repeated network collapses.
Havana primarily blames American restrictions on fuel and financing. However, the deterioration of thermal power plants, the lack of maintenance and investment over decades, and the reliance on imported fuels are also part of a structural crisis that predates the latest measures from Washington.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, traveled to New York to accompany Trump at the General Assembly, and has described Washington's strategy as "closing every exit" to the Cuban regime, a stance that contrasts with the victimization narrative that Rodríguez presented to his CELAC counterparts.
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