Cuban minister calls U.S. ambassador a liar

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, the foreign minister of Cuba, walked down the aisle of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday and shouted that U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz was a liar. The confrontation marked a sharp break from the usual diplomatic decorum on the floor of the assembly.

The incident began when Waltz took the podium to argue against the annual resolution condemning the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba. He cited years of alleged corruption by the Cuban government. As he spoke, members of the Cuban delegation, including Rodríguez Parrilla, slammed their table and demanded a point of order. When UN officials tried to calm the room, Rodríguez Parrilla moved to the front of the chamber to address Waltz directly.

Waltz responded to the outburst by telling the Cuban minister, “You understand who you're dealing with? This is America. Back up.” The exchange captured the rising tensions between the two countries as the Trump administration intensifies its economic pressure on Havana.

Cuba is facing severe economic strain, particularly after President Trump announced in late January that he would impose tariffs on any nation selling or providing oil to the island. That move has effectively cut off fuel supplies, leading to widespread power outages that disrupt cooking, water systems, and internet services across the country.

Cuban officials argue that while Washington demands Cuba open up to private investment, the U.S. continues to add sanctions that block that economic opening. The Tuesday clash followed a similar dispute the previous week between Waltz and Cuban deputy foreign minister Ernesto Soberón Guzmán outside a U.S. hosted panel featuring Cuban dissidents and former prisoners.

The U.S. is working to persuade UN member states to vote against the resolution this week, a measure that calls out Washington’s maximum pressure policy. For 34 years, the resolution has passed with overwhelming support. In 2025, the vote stood at 165 in favor, seven against, and 12 abstentions. Argentina, Ukraine, and Hungary were the first countries to oppose the measure last year.

Canada has voted in favor of the resolution every year. In 2026, Global Affairs Canada announced $5.5 million in new support for Cubans, adding to $8 million in accelerated funds provided in February to scale up food aid. Although the resolution is not legally binding, it serves as a formal record of global opinion on the issue.