Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  United Nations world headquarters in New York

By Gary Raynaldo    /   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

U.S Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz engaged in a shouting match with Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla Tuesday at the UN after Waltz accused the socialist regime’s leaders of living lives of luxury while ordinary Cubans are mired in poverty. The heated exchange came as the UN General Assembly holds its annual debate and vote on a resolution calling for the end of the U.S. embargo on Cuba.  

“The Castro regime has profited at the expense of the Cuban people with luxury cars, expensive watches and a private island resort,” Waltz said during his speech at the podium of the UN General Assembly.  Tensions erupted when Parrilla approached the podium shouting at Waltz calling him a liar. Waltz responded, “Back up, Ambassador. Back away. This isn’t Havana. You’re not going to intimidate me.”

Since 1962, the US has imposed an economic embargo on Cuba. The Trump administration has expanded sanctions including a fuel blockade to force political change in Cuba. The country is in an economic crisis that has crippled its tourist industry. The number of foreign tourists visiting Cuba is down nearly 60 percent from last year. There have been chronic fuel shortages and widespread power blackouts. Waltz denied that there is a fuel blockade against Cuba. 

“Cuba’s Communist leaders don’t want you to know about their luxury real estate portfolio, but we have the receipts,” Waltz posted on his X account. “As I shared this with the world, regime thugs rushed the stage to interrupt my speech. They can intimidate their own people in Cuba but think again about trying that nonsense in the United States of America.”

The Cuban foreign affairs minister posted on his X account:  “The US government, with its crude lies at the General Assembly of the United Nations, launched a new desperate attempt to justify the economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy siege. Its statements today are part of the media circus, of threats and of the electoral campaign, to which the US government dedicates substantial economic and human resources. There is no pretext for sustaining the act of collective punishment to which they subject the Cuban people.”

Cuba has accused U.S. officials of intimidating and coercing  UN member states to vote against the resolution calling to lift the embargo.