New York, December 4th, 2025. — Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, spoke today on the occasion of the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures, where he strongly condemned these mechanisms which violate international law, punish entire peoples, and undermine global cooperation.
The Cuban diplomat emphasized that unilateral coercive measures are one of the main obstacles to sustainable development and the realization of human rights. These measures impose indiscriminate deprivation and economic pressures, lacking all legal and moral legitimacy.
Soberón denounced the fact that Cuba has suffered an economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than six decades. This blockade has been reinforced by extraterritorial actions, smear campaigns against the Cuban medical cooperation, and the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba on the list of State sponsors of terrorism. From March 2024 to February 2025, the blockade caused over $7.5 billion in damage, directly affecting the Cuban people's access to medicine, food, and fuel.
Soberón warned that these policies currently affect 76 developing countries and more than a third of the world's population while the United States seeks to position itself as the global arbiter of trade and development. “No State is above the Charter of the United Nations,” he said.
Cuba strongly supported the appointment of a special adviser on unilateral coercive measures and demanded the immediate, total, and unconditional lifting of these inhumane policies to move toward a more just and inclusive international order.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.