The UN General Assembly voted 136 to 9 on July 7, 2026, to debate the United States embargo on Cuba. The session was marked by a fierce diplomatic clash between US Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. The confrontation occurred immediately after Cuba's national power grid collapsed for the third time in 2026, leaving 10 million people in darkness. While Cuba blames US fuel restrictions for an $8 billion economic toll, the US attributes the crisis to communist mismanagement and human rights abuses.
UN General Assembly Cuba embargo
- ▪The United Nations General Assembly voted 136 in favor, nine against, and 30 abstentions on July 7, 2026, to hold a debate on the United States embargo against Cuba
- ▪Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stated that the damage caused by the United States embargo from March 2025 through February 2026 reached a record $8 billion
Cuba nationwide power grid failures
- ▪Cuba's electricity crisis is driven by severe fuel shortages and an aging, poorly maintained power system running on creaking Soviet-era power plants
- ▪Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed on July 6, 2026, marking the third nationwide power failure in 2026 and the eighth since October 2025
US fuel shipment restrictions
- ▪United States President Donald Trump ordered a blockade on oil supplies to Cuba in January 2026 as part of a pressure campaign against the communist government
- ▪Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the United States of committing an act of war by restricting fuel shipments to the island
Cuban political prisoners
- ▪United States Ambassador Mike Waltz displayed photographs of jailed Cuban dissidents, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, Maykel Castillo Perez, and Duannis Dabel Leon Taboada
- ▪United States Representative Jeffrey Bartos accused Cuba of holding more than 800 political prisoners, while Prisoners Defenders reported over 1,200 political prisoners in the spring of 2026
GAESA military economic control
- ▪Reuters reported that estimates of GAESA's economic reach range from 40% to 70%, while Cuban officials dispute the United States government's $18 billion asset figure
- ▪United States Ambassador Mike Waltz stated that GAESA, Cuba's military-run conglomerate, controls approximately half of the country's economy and holds $18 billion in assets
Waltz Rodriguez diplomatic confrontation
- ▪Members of the Cuban delegation interrupted United States speakers by pounding on tables, prompting United States Ambassador Mike Waltz to respond, 'This is not Havana.'
- ▪United States Ambassador Mike Waltz rejected Cuba's naval blockade claims, stating that no United States Navy warships are blocking trade or humanitarian aid to Cuba
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