The U.S. official Juan Pablo Segura warned this Wednesday that the international support for the resolution presented annually by Cuba to the United Nations against the U.S. embargo contributes, in his opinion, to delaying the political and economic reforms that the Island needs.
In a statement released on the X account, the Under Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs held the Cuban communist system responsible for the crisis the country is facing and questioned the usefulness of supporting Havana's diplomatic initiative.
"La Cuban economy survived exclusively thanks to foreign aid and now that this has disappeared, the communist regime is failing and betraying ordinary Cubans," the official stated.
Segura stated that the Cuban government uses the support received at the United Nations to avoid acknowledging the need to transform its political and economic model.
Havana uses its annual vote at the UN to convince itself that it does not need to change. Supporting this resolution only reaffirms the regime's false arguments and delays the urgent need for political and economic reforms, he stated.
His statements directly refer to the resolution titled "Need to End the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba," which the UN General Assembly has been reviewing periodically for more than three decades.
The document calls for the lifting of the U.S. embargo and typically receives broad international support. However, it is a resolution from the General Assembly that expresses the position of the participating countries and does not, by itself, compel Washington to alter its legislation regarding Cuba.
In the latest vote, held on October 29, 2025, the resolution was approved with 165 votes in favor, seven against, and 12 abstentions, according to the official United Nations record corresponding to resolution A/RES/80/4.
The discussion presents two interpretations regarding the causes of the Cuban crisis: the regime in Havana attributes a fundamental part of the economic difficulties to the U.S. embargo and calls for its removal, while the position expressed by Segura emphasizes the decisions made by the government itself and the lack of structural reforms.
The official's statement comes amidst a new exchange of accusations between both governments over the upcoming discussion of the issue at the United Nations.
This Wednesday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of attempting to blackmail other countries regarding the resolution against the embargo.
Also this Wednesday, from Washington, a message of support was reiterated for the Cuban people in the face of the Island's Government, stating that “the free world must stand with the Cuban people”.
Segura's criticisms of the Cuban economic model are not new either. In August, the official had already publicly questioned the functioning of the Island's economic system, as part of the U.S. administration's stance towards Havana.
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