New York, February 16, 2026 – Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, reaffirmed his country’s steadfast commitment to the definitive eradication of colonialism during the Organizational Meeting of the Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), where he expressed gratitude for the trust placed in Cuba in assuming one of the Vice-Chairmanships of that body.
The Cuban diplomat reiterated before the Committee Cuba’s full willingness to continue working constructively towards the completion of the decolonization process, a task which, he recalled, remains unfinished 65 years after the creation of the C-24.
The Permanent Representative stressed that, as long as even a single people continues to be subjected to colonialism, “the decolonization efforts of the United Nations, grounded in the principle of equal rights and the self-determination of peoples, cannot be considered complete.” In this regard, he reiterated Cuba’s rejection of all forms of colonial domination and neocolonial practices that run counter to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
In his statement, the Ambassador condemned the impact of unilateral coercive measures and economic blockades as instruments of political pressure that seek to impose models alien to the sovereign will of peoples. He also warned of the resurgence of hegemonic doctrines that threaten regional and international peace and contravene the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
The Cuban diplomat further reiterated his country’s support for the holding of the next Regional Seminar on the Decolonization of the Caribbean, to be convened from 25 to 27 May in Nicaragua, which he described as a key opportunity to strengthen collective action in favor of the independence and sovereignty of the peoples of the region.
Finally, Ambassador Soberón Guzmán reaffirmed that Cuba will continue to defend, in all multilateral forums, the inalienable rights of peoples to self-determination, independence and development with dignity, and called on the United Nations not to remain indifferent to the legitimate aspirations of the territories that are still under colonial domination.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.