United Nations, New York, October 6, 2026. – Cuba denounced before the Second Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations that the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States has reached unprecedented levels, while the energy siege against the country qualifies as a collective punishment which intentionally hinders access to fuel and directly affects the living conditions of the Cuban people.
During the general debate of the Second Committee of the 81st session of the General Assembly, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, said that the damages encompass power generation, hospitals, schools, transportation, water supply, agriculture, food and medicine availability. He also denounced the intensification of extraterritorial measures and the “so-called secondary” sanctions against companies, banks, and providers from third countries having legitimate relations with Cuba.
The Cuban diplomat warned that these measures are taken in an international context marked by wars, growing inequality and serious obstacles to development. Meanwhile, military expenditure hit a record at 2.9 trillion dollars in 2025, external debt service for developing countries amounted to $1.6 trillion, at a time in which important financial gaps persist to fulfill the 2030 Agenda.
Cuba called for mobilizing new, additional and predictable resources to propel the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the effective steps towards the establishment of a multilateral mechanism for the negotiation of sovereign debt, and the reform of the international financial institutions. He also reiterated that peace and the full enjoyment of human rights cannot be achieved while the right to development is denied to a large part of humanity.
Soberón Guzmán reaffirmed Cuba’s support for the Palestinian cause and reasserted its strong condemnation of the genocide perpetrated in Gaza by Israel, with the sustained political, military, logistic and financial support of the United States. He also advocated strengthening multilateralism and respect to international law in the face of the global challenges.
Despite the intensification of the blockade, Cuba reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and highlighted the 176 economic and social reforms undertaken to increase productivity and address the needs of the population. Cuba’s actions, he stressed, will continue to be guided by the defense of development and the work for a more just, inclusive and equitable world.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations