Hours before the start of the debate at the UN General Assembly on the U.S. embargo against Cuba, the Trump Administration issued a direct message on Tuesday: without substantial reforms, the island will not be an attractive destination for investment nor will it be able to develop a real private sector.
Juan Pablo Segura, Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, posted the message on his official account with the seal of the Department of State: "Only a substantial reform will make Cuba an attractive destination for investment, boost the growth of the private sector, and provide Cubans with freedom, dignity, and opportunities," he wrote.
The publication also included the slogan: "A vote in favor of the regime is a vote against the Cuban people," under a banner that explicitly called for countering the Cuban resolution at the UN.
The message is part of a diplomatic campaign carried out throughout October, the most intense that Washington has conducted ahead of this annual vote.
On Monday, Segura reminded that U.S. legislation has always allowed exports of food and medicine to Cuba, with shipments exceeding 810 million dollars in 2025. He also detailed that after Hurricane Melissa, the Trump Administration allocated 9 million dollars in direct aid through the Catholic Church and another 100 million via Catholic Relief Services and Samaritan's Purse.
Days earlier, on October 23, Segura had already sent the message “It’s time for reforms, not just talk” and pointed out that hundreds of political prisoners remain detained on the island. On October 21, he warned that voting in favor of the Cuban resolution amounts to supporting state-sponsored human trafficking and the corruption of the ruling elite.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this stance on Monday by stating that Cuba "needs a very drastic change" and that this is "a completely different case from Venezuela," without specifying concrete measures.
From Havana, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla confirmed Cuba's participation in the debate and accused Washington of exerting "blatant and cynical pressures" on the UN member states. "We know that the demand for an end to this criminal policy and the energy blockade will again be predominant," he wrote.
The central narrative from Washington is that the embargo is not the cause of the Cuban crisis, but rather the political-economic model of the regime, and that supporting the annual resolution allows Havana to evade the reforms that its population needs.
The resolution that Cuba has presented to the UN since 1992 is not legally binding—only the U.S. Congress can lift the embargo—but it serves as a gauge of international support for Washington's policy. In the 2025 vote, Cuba received 165 votes in favor, compared to the 187 it garnered in 2024, the most unfavorable result for Havana in over three decades, partly attributed to the diplomatic pressure from the Trump Administration. This year's vote is scheduled for Wednesday.
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