Heated exchange at United Nations headquarters! U.S. and Cuban diplomats clash openly

During a session of the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Wendy D. Walsh and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez engaged in a public and intense confrontation.

The incident occurred during Tuesday’s assembly meeting. Walsh took the podium and directly criticized Cuba’s leadership, accusing senior officials of widespread corruption. She alleged that high-ranking Cuban figures possess luxury watches, real estate, yachts, and that their relatives travel to Europe for leisure vacations.

Walsh also advanced a contentious claim: despite hardships faced by ordinary Cubans, the U.S. economic embargo does not exist in practice, as luxury goods continue to reach Cuba’s elite.

This statement immediately provoked outrage among the Cuban delegation. Cuban diplomats responded by slamming tables and applauding in protest. Foreign Minister Rodríguez interrupted Walsh mid-speech, calling on the assembly presiding officer to intervene. He condemned Walsh’s conduct as rude and arrogant, stating her remarks undermined the dignity of the General Assembly.

Subsequently, Rodríguez took the podium to confront Walsh directly. Walsh became visibly agitated, demanding that the presiding officer remove Rodríguez from the floor. She shouted: “I speak on behalf of the United States of America! Step back! Do you know who you’re speaking to? Step back!” She added that she would not tolerate intimidation in a venue under U.S. jurisdiction.

After the session, Walsh posted video footage from the event on social media, accusing Cuban diplomats of reacting with anger after criticism, and referring to them as “regime thugs.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Rodríguez responded online with a satirical cartoon captioned “The Lying Foreigner,” publicly stating: “Cuba is not the threat; the U.S. blockade is the threat.” He denounced the U.S. economic sanctions as a form of economic warfare aimed at regime change, asserting that prolonged embargoes constitute acts of war prohibited under international law.

The United Nations has previously held votes on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. The vast majority of member states opposed the sanctions. Countries including China, Russia, and India voted in favor, as did Canada, the United Kingdom, and France—U.S. allies. Only 17 nations, including the United States, Israel, and Ukraine, voted against the resolution, while 25 others abstained.

In recent months, the U.S. government has intensified pressure on Cuba. The Trump administration imposed near-total energy restrictions, resulting in severe energy shortages, frequent power outages, and food scarcity, plunging the country into its worst economic crisis in decades. Trump publicly declared that Cuba was “on the verge of collapse.”

The U.S. has also issued an arrest warrant for Raúl Castro, the 95-year-old former Cuban leader, reviving charges from 1996 alleging he ordered the downing of a civilian aircraft. The Cuban government condemned this move as legally baseless political maneuvering designed to justify potential military intervention.

Russia and China have both publicly supported Cuba. Russia had previously supplied tens of thousands of barrels of oil to Cuba; China reiterated its support for Cuba’s sovereignty and its right to pursue development paths suited to its national conditions. Russian officials described the allegations against Raúl Castro as entirely fabricated and lacking factual basis.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880333584755712/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.