Credit : The White House's X
The White House has thrown its weight behind United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz after a heated confrontation with Cuba’s delegation on the floor of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
In a post on X, the White House wrote “Not in the United States of America,” tagging Waltz and sharing an illustration of the ambassador pointing towards a Cuban delegate. The image carried the words: “He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America, like he tries to intimidate political prisoners.”
The post quoted Waltz’s own message on X, in which he said: “The Castro regime has profited at the expense of the Cuban people with luxury cars, expensive watches and a private island resort. As I shared this with the world, regime thugs rushed the stage to interrupt my speech.” He added: “They can intimidate their own people in Cuba but think again about trying that nonsense in the United States of America.”
The clash took place during the General Assembly’s annual debate on a Cuban-sponsored resolution calling for an end to the decades-old US economic embargo on the island. Cuba has put forward the non-binding measure every year since 1992, and the vote is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28.
According to ABC News and the Miami Herald, the confrontation began roughly two and a half minutes into Waltz’s speech, as he criticised what he described as corruption and repression by Cuba’s communist government. Members of the Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, began shouting and banging on their desks while calling for a point of order.
As Rodríguez Parrilla approached the front of the hall, Waltz told him to “back up”, saying, “This is the United Nations. This isn’t your communist dictatorship. You cannot silence me.” The presiding officer briefly suspended the meeting and asked both delegations to return to their places before allowing Waltz to continue.
Rodríguez Parrilla was later given the floor on a point of order and accused the US envoy of “grossly lying” and of offending “the dignity of the people and government” of Cuba, according to reports carried by APA and the Miami Herald. He raised further points of order after Waltz finished speaking.
During his remarks, Waltz displayed photographs of what he said was the luxury lifestyle of the Castro family and urged member states to vote against the resolution. He also accused the Cuban delegation of a pattern of intimidation, saying recently released political prisoners visiting the UN had been filmed and harassed. “If this happens here, imagine what happens there,” he said, according to the Miami Herald.
Waltz later alleged on X that a member of the Cuban delegation had tried to get UN staff to cut the US microphones during his speech and had then tried to intimidate a US staff member who noticed, the Miami Herald reported. Those claims have not been independently verified.
This year’s debate comes as Washington steps up pressure on Havana. According to Free Malaysia Today, citing international wire reports, the campaign includes an oil blockade and broad sanctions that have severely hit Cuba’s economy. The confrontation is the latest in a series of public disputes between the two long-time adversaries over the US measures.
The General Assembly is expected to vote on the embargo resolution on Wednesday. In past years, the measure has passed with overwhelming support from member states, although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.
Credit : The White House’s X
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