Today, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, spoke at the Special Committee on Decolonization regarding the question of Puerto Rico. He reiterated Cuba's commitment to eradicating colonialism in all its forms and expressed the Cuban government's solidarity with Puerto Rico's aspirations for self-determination and independence.
The Cuban ambassador emphasized the historical, cultural, and fraternal bonds that connect Cuba and Puerto Rico, which were forged through a shared history of resistance against colonial domination. He reaffirmed that Puerto Rico's current political situation constitutes an evident manifestation of colonial subordination and denounced mechanisms that perpetuate this condition, such as the Commonwealth status and the Fiscal Oversight Board imposed by the PROMESA Act.
He stressed that the U.S. Congress retains fundamental powers over Puerto Rico, severely limiting the Puerto Rican people's ability to make sovereign decisions regarding their internal affairs. This includes economic and social development, management of essential services, and addressing challenges arising from natural disasters.
He recalled that both the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) have recognized Puerto Rico as an integral part of the Latin American and Caribbean community. Both organizations have endorsed the right of the Puerto Rican people to freely decide their future in their founding and final documents, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV).
In this regard, Cuba urged the Special Committee on Decolonization to examine this issue seriously and urgently, and called on the General Assembly to address it accordingly.
"The definitive solution to Puerto Rico's colonial situation is not an internal matter for the United States, but a collective responsibility of this committee and the international community as a whole," the ambassador concluded.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations