United Nations, New York, October 9, 2026. - During the Joint General Debate on Decolonization in the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, Cuba reaffirmed its firm commitment to the elimination of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, and denounced the new practices of neocolonial domination that threaten the peoples’ sovereignty and self-determination. Cuba’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Daylenis Moreno Guerra, emphasized that decolonization is a collective responsibility of the international community and an unfinished task of the United Nations.
The Cuban diplomat highlighted the work of the Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) and reiterated the need to strengthen multilateralism, international cooperation, and respect for the right of peoples to freely determine their own destiny. In that context, she warned against the proliferation of neocolonial practices aimed at imposing economic models, political systems, and regime changes contrary to the sovereign will of nations.
Moreno Guerra denounced that Cuba continues to face an unprecedented assault by the U.S. government, aimed at restoring its neocolonial domination over the country. She stated that the economic, commercial and financial blockade, the intensification of the energy siege, the policy of collective punishment against the Cuban people and threats of military aggression are expressions of Washington’s hegemonic pretensions and its policy of domination.
The Ambassador also reaffirmed Cuba’s historic solidarity with Puerto Rico’s inalienable right to independence and self-determination. She denounced the consequences of the imposition of the so-called Fiscal Oversight Board, which has deepened colonial subordination and worsened the social conditions of Puerto Ricans. She also reiterated Cuba’s support for the Palestinian cause and for the creation of an independent and sovereign state within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as its support for the legitimate aspirations of the Sahrawi people and for Argentina’s sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich and surrounding maritime areas.
In addition, the Deputy Permanent Representative reaffirmed Cuba’s support for the legitimate demands of the peoples of the Caribbean and Africa demanding reparation for the historical damage caused by colonialism and slavery. She also highlighted the Cuban cooperation to the training of human resources from Non-Self-Governing Territories, with about 2,159 graduate students and more than 2,000 scholarships awarded, as a concrete expression of solidarity and commitment to their economic and social development.
At the end of her speech, Moreno Guerra reiterated that Cuba will continue to defend, in all multilateral forums, the right of peoples to independence, sovereignty and self-determination, and the full implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Elimination of Colonialism. "As long as there is a single people under colonial domination, the work of the United Nations will be unfinished," she emphasized.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations