Vienna, September 15, 2026. – During the General Debate of the 70th IAEA General Conference, Cuba denounced the unprecedented tightening of the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial embargo, the imposition of an energy blockade whose impact is equivalent to a naval blockade, and the frequent and systematic threat of military aggression against the island.
The complaint was presented by the Minister of Science, Technology, and the Environment, Dr. Armando Rodríguez Batista, who warned that these actions have a pervasive and negative impact on all areas of social development, including the use of nuclear energy for exclusively peaceful purposes. He noted that the blockade violates the spirit of Article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and significantly hinders the financial and commercial operations necessary to carry out Cuba’s cooperation projects with the Agency.
Rodríguez Batista explained that, as a result of these measures, Cuba is prevented from acquiring spare parts for linear accelerators and from purchasing radioisotopes, reagents, and state-of-the-art technological supplies for the treatment of cancer and other complex diseases. He emphasized that the United States’ ruthless economic war of attrition against Cuba deliberately limits its people’s right to life and development.
Despite this, Cuba reiterated its willingness to continue promoting cooperation with the IAEA and to maintain appropriate levels of nuclear, radiological, and physical security, with adequate preparedness and response capabilities for radiological emergencies; it reaffirmed its commitment to the Agency’s technical and objective work and rejected political conditions and discriminatory practices that limit the inalienable right of all countries to the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy.