US and Cuban envoys in shouting match during UN embargo debate

During a debate at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, US envoy Mike Waltz and Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla engaged in a heated shouting match over the US's decades-old embargo against Cuba. Waltz claimed that Cuba's government was enriching its elite while ordinary citizens faced food shortages, power cuts, and economic hardship.

Parrilla, in turn, repeatedly interrupted Waltz, accusing him of offensive remarks and demanding that the American representative be reprimanded. As tensions escalated, Waltz ordered Cuban delegation members to move away from the podium, stating, "I'm the representative of the United States of America. Back up. This isn't Havana.

You're not going to intimidate me." The President of the General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, temporarily halted proceedings and allowed Parrilla to raise a point of order, accusing Waltz of lying and violating the assembly's dignity. Under UN Rule 71, a member state's representative can raise a point of order at any time, and the assembly's president must immediately rule on it.

Parrilla continued to interrupt Waltz as he displayed photographs allegedly showing the lavish lifestyles of Cuba's ruling elite, highlighting the contradiction between Cuba's Communist government's rhetoric against capitalism and its participation in the global luxury goods market. The UN General Assembly has consistently voted to call for an end to the US embargo on Cuba since 1992, but the resolution remains non-binding, as only the US Congress has the authority to lift the embargo.

In recent months, the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Cuba by restricting oil shipments and threatening tariffs on countries that supply fuel to Havana. These actions have exacerbated basic goods shortages and power outages on the island. Washington has consistently blamed Cuba's economic problems on its communist government rather than the US embargo, pushing for political change in Havana.