Geneva, September 9, 2025. For the first time since its inception, the UN Human Rights Council examined today the impact of the economic blockade and the energy siege imposed on Cuba by the United States.
A large number of delegations participated in the debate following the presentation by the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures of her report on her visit to Cuba, where she gathered extensive evidence regarding the situation.
Speaking during the session, Cuban Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson emphasized that it is once again evident that the United States lies when it cynically claims there is no blockade or energy siege against Cuba. “The Special Rapporteur’s report exposes the liar,” he stated, “as it concludes that the U.S. blockade not only exists but is steadily intensifying, causing enormous damage and violating the rights of the Cuban people.”
He highlighted that the assessment of the blockade's impact—conducted on the ground for the first time by a specialized UN mechanism—has demonstrated that the United States also deceives when it attempts to hold the Cuban government responsible for the consequences of its own cruel actions. The Rapporteur’s report underscores that, contrary to Washington’s claims, the island's authorities are making sustained efforts to protect the population and mitigate the impact of U.S. coercive measures as much as possible.
“The perverse and deliberate aim is to inflict extreme deprivation and total suffocation upon Cuban families. They are attempting to engineer a humanitarian tragedy in order to destabilize the country and achieve their political objectives,” he asserted.
He also addressed the impact of the energy siege imposed on Cuba since last January. “The architects of that policy of genocide and collective punishment—experts at strangling the Cuban people—celebrate as successes the agony of a mother losing a child due to a lack of medicines. They rejoice at prolonged power outages, high food prices, and difficulties regarding the supply of water and other basic services.”
He warned that Cuba faces the threat of military aggression under the absurd pretext of posing a supposed threat to the security of a military superpower. He argued that there is no justification for attacking Cuba, nor for imposing inhumane coercive measures that—due to their humanitarian impact—are tantamount to war.
“Our country does not desire war. But should aggression occur—an eventuality we hope never comes to pass—our people will defend themselves to the very end,” he emphasized.
Cuba’s representative warned that silence or indifference regarding what is currently being done to Cuba weakens international law and places everyone in danger. “Yesterday it was Gaza. Today it is Cuba. Tomorrow, it could be any of the nations represented here.”
He affirmed that Cuba will not surrender and that the Cuban people will prevail, because their resilience, creativity, and determination cannot be blockaded.
He concluded by stating: “As our National Hero José Martí said: ‘A just principle, from the depths of a cave, is more powerful than an army.’ We shall prevail, because right and reason are on Cuba’s side.”