US-Cuba confrontation briefly halts UN embargo debate

The president of the UN General Assembly briefly suspended a debate on the US embargo against Cuba on 27 October after a confrontation between the two countries’ delegations. The meeting resumed, and the dispute did not prevent the vote the following day. The Assembly urged an end to the embargo by 130 votes to 17, with 25 abstentions. The resolution is not legally binding and did not lift the restrictions.

The interruption came during a speech by US ambassador Mike Waltz, who accused Cuba’s government of corruption and repression and urged countries to reject the resolution. Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla sought a point of order and asked the Assembly president to call Waltz to order over remarks he said were offensive to Cuba and its people. The president suspended the meeting as the exchange escalated, then allowed Rodríguez to speak before Waltz continued.

Waltz argued that there was “no blockade”, pointing to US exports to Cuba. That did not mean the US embargo had ended. In its explanation after the vote, the EU said the embargo harmed Cubans economically and humanitarily, while also saying Cuba’s own policies had contributed significantly to the country’s crisis.

Support for the resolution fell from 165 votes in favour in 2025 to 130 this year. The confrontation halted proceedings for a short time; the vote showed a larger change in diplomatic support, but not a change in US law.