On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, the United Nations General Assembly floor erupted when U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz began a critique of Cuba’s economic policies, prompting Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez to storm the dais and shout a point of order.
Waltz’s speech cited decades of alleged corruption and the U.S. embargo, while Rodríguez accused the United States of lying and demanded that Washington back down. The exchange escalated when Rodríguez marched to the Speaker’s chair and shouted, "You are a liar!" before Waltz retorted, "You understand who you're dealing with? This is America. Back up."
The confrontation unfolded amid a backdrop of mounting economic pressure: President Donald Trump’s January 2026 tariff announcement targeted any nation that supplies oil to Cuba, cutting the island off from fuel imports and plunging millions into power outages, water shortages, and internet blackouts. In Havana, a single mother of three reports that nightly power cuts mean her children cannot study. The U.S. has also repeatedly urged Cuba to allow private investment as part of a broader strategy to force political reforms.
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres called for calm, but the incident spurred a formal protest from the U.S. delegation and a petition from the Cuban side to the General Assembly Committee. Meanwhile, a Cuban staffer reportedly assaulted a New York Post reporter on the floor, adding a security dimension to the diplomatic flare‑up.
The UN will vote on Wednesday, 28 October, on a resolution that has historically garnered overwhelming support for condemning the U.S. embargo; last year, it passed 165‑7. The U.S. aims to win the vote, while Cuba seeks to block it, and the outcome will signal the international community’s stance on the long‑standing U.S. policy.