The UN General Assembly experienced one of the most chaotic episodes in its recent history on Tuesday when the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and the rest of the regime's delegation stood up from their seats and physically approached the podium where the American ambassador Michael Waltz was speaking, in an attempt to force the cessation of his speech during the annual debate on the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
Rodríguez managed to position himself just a few meters from the podium amidst shouting, while other members of the delegation —including permanent ambassador Ernesto Soberón— supported the act of intimidation. The presidency of the Assembly, led by Khalilur Rahman, was forced to briefly suspend the session. "Please return to your seat," Rahman demanded before resuming the debate.
Waltz did not back down. "This person needs to step away from the podium. They will not intimidate me or the United States of America," he responded firmly. When Rodríguez persisted with further interruptions, the ambassador cautioned him: "Mr. Chancellor, this is how this is going to work: every time you interrupt me, I will continue to explain just how corrupt this regime is, and I will do it more slowly."
The Cuban delegation utilized procedural motions based on Article 71 of the Assembly's regulations at least three times, which prohibits discussing the substance of an issue during a procedural matter. On each occasion, the presidency rejected the objections and returned the floor to the U.S. representative. From the microphone, Rodríguez again called Waltz a "liar": "Mr. Waltz, you are lying again. I wish you better performance in your future political roles."
The incident was not limited to the plenary session. According to the New York Post, a member of the Cuban delegation attempted to snatch the phone from J.P. Freire, spokesperson for Waltz, while he was recording the confrontation from the room.
In his remarks, Waltz launched an unprecedented offensive against the Cuban nomenclature, presenting to the ambassadors of the world photographs of Rolex watches owned by Fidel Castro valued at 40,000 dollars —equivalent to 55 years of average salary in Cuba—, Hermès ties, and Montblanc pens belonging to Díaz-Canel, as well as images of the Castro family's properties: a beachfront retreat in Varadero spanning 14,000 square meters, a private island named Cayo Piedra featuring a floating restaurant and a dolphin lagoon, and a 50-meter yacht sailing the Mediterranean.
The ambassador also cited a report from the Miami Herald revealing that GAESA, the military conglomerate of the Cuban government, amassed $18 billion in profits and $14 billion in cash kept in secret accounts. "Things don't just disappear. They stole it," Waltz asserted. "Doctors' salaries, medicines, fuel: everything has been stolen."
Waltz also reported that the Cuban delegation attempted to intimidate and film former political prisoners in the very hallways of the UN on October 19, during the "Cuba Libre" forum organized by the U.S. mission with the participation of José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. "If that happens here, imagine what happens over there," he noted.
The pattern is not new. Last July, Bruno Rodríguez attempted to silence U.S. representative Jeffrey Bartos with two points of order during a special session called by Cuba, both of which were rejected. This Tuesday, the escalation went much further: the physical advance towards the podium brought the session to the brink of indefinite suspension.
Waltz concluded his remarks with a direct message to the other ambassadors: "Colleagues, these thugs are asking for your vote. Don't give Havana another propaganda victory. Don’t vote for the mistreatment of the Cuban people." The resolution, which has been presented since 1992 and is not legally binding, was approved last year with only 165 votes in favor — the lowest result since 2010 — compared to the 187 it received in 2024.
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