United Nations, New York, 11 November 2026.- Cuba reaffirmed before the UN General Assembly its unwavering solidarity with the Saharawi people and demanded the unrestricted respect for self-determination, in front of the attempts to perpetuate the occupation of the Western Sahara and impose solutions contrary to international law.
During the plenary debate on the use of veto in the Security Council, held pursuant to resolution 76/262, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, denounced that after more than six decades, Western Sahara remains awaiting decolonization, despite the numerous resolutions in the UN and in the African Union recognizing the legitimate rights of the Saharawi people.
The Cuban diplomat rejected the US-backed attempts to impose the interest of the Occupying Power through initiatives that leave out the sovereign will of the Saharawi people. He emphasized that no unilateral proposal of autonomy which excludes the effective application of free determination can be deemed as a just and lasting solution, or serve as a reason to legitimate the territorial occupation.
Likewise, he condemned the plunder of natural, land and maritime resources of Western Sahara by the Moroccan occupation, and stressed that this wealth should be destined for the wellbeing and development of its legitimate people, instead of fueling expansionist ambitions.
Soberón Guzmán reiterated Cuba’s support for a final political solution under the auspices of the United Nations, without conditions and in accordance with the Charter of the organization. In this regard, he highlighted the need for a dialogue in good faith among all the parties involved, including the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people, which guarantees the full exercise to freely decide its future.
In closing, he ratified Cuba’s historic and unwavering support for the struggle of the Saharawi people and warned that decolonization will continue to be an unfinished task as long as the deprivation of this fundamental right persists. ‘Decolonization will not be a reality as long as a single people remains deprived of its right to decide freely its destiny’, he stated.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.