Cuba Condemns U.S. Blockade at UN as Energy Crisis Deepens

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the 81st UN General Assembly on Saturday, labeling U.S. policy a "permanent, abusive, and ruthless hostility" spanning nearly seven decades. He declared that Cuba poses no threat to the United States, contrasting the island's stance with the ongoing economic blockade.

Rodríguez Parrilla highlighted an "energy blockade" initiated in January 2026 following a reported U.S. military operation in Caracas that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, cutting off Cuba's primary fuel supplier. Combined with obsolete infrastructure, this has caused nearly a dozen total blackouts across Cuba this year.

“En Cuba, como es conocido, encaramos una agresión multidimensional del Gobierno de Estados Unidos, una hostilidad permanente, abusiva y despiadada que dura ya casi siete décadas”

The Minister stated the U.S. has threatened tariffs against nations supplying fuel to Cuba, disrupting shipments from allies like Mexico and forcing reliance on distant partners such as Russia. He noted the U.S. delegation walked out of the New York chamber during his remarks.

The Trump administration has repeatedly predicted the Cuban government's imminent collapse. This week, the U.S. President described the "communist regime" as under unprecedented pressure, a "failed state" that "is going to fall."