‘Back up!’ US ambassador erupts at Cuban minister (VIDEO)

During a tense session at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez engaged in a heated confrontation over Washington's decades-long blockade of the Caribbean island nation. The exchange marked a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Waltz dedicated his speech to allegations of corruption among Cuban leadership, claiming they possess luxury watches, real estate, and yachts while ordinary Cubans 'are starving.' He asserted that the US embargo 'does not exist' and 'doesn't apply to luxury goods' that 'somehow get through to the Cuban regime elites.'

Heated Exchange

The Cuban delegation, led by Rodriguez, responded with loud condemnation, clapping and knocking on their desks in protest. Rodriguez interrupted Waltz's speech, requesting urgent intervention and delivering his own remarks in which he accused the American diplomat of lying in a 'rude and arrogant manner' and 'violating the dignity of the General Assembly.'

Confrontation Escalates

Rodriguez then approached the podium and engaged in a heated argument with Waltz. In a video posted on X by the US envoy, Waltz can be heard urging the General Assembly president to make the Cuban minister 'back away from this podium,' insisting that he would not allow Rodriguez to 'intimidate' him on US territory.

Waltz shouted: 'I'm the representative of the United States of America! Back up! [...] Do you understand who you are dealing with?! Back up!' The American envoy also posted videos on social media, accusing Cuban 'so-called 'diplomats'' and 'regime thugs' of 'melting down at the first hint of criticism.'

International Response

Rodriguez subsequently addressed the General Assembly, denouncing 'the economic war that the United States is waging against Cuba with aims of domination and 'regime change.' He blasted the continued blockade as an 'act of war' and 'genocide prohibited by the International Law.'

A resolution condemning the US embargo of Cuba was supported by 130 countries, including Russia, China, India, and several US allies such as Canada, France and the UK. It was opposed by 17 nations, including the US, Israel, and Ukraine, with 25 nations abstaining.

Escalating Tensions

US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Havana since the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump has repeatedly stated that Cuba would be 'next' as his administration imposed a near-total energy blockade against the island nation, contributing to severe energy shortages and Cuba's worst economic crisis in decades.

Last month, Trump described Cuba as an 'absolutely failed state' and 'a haven for foreign adversaries' on America's doorstep. Moscow and Beijing have expressed solidarity with Cuba, with Russia delivering around 700,000 barrels of oil in March and China pledging to support Cuba in 'safeguarding its national sovereignty.'

Legal Actions

In mid-October, the US issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro, 95, accusing him of ordering an attack on two American planes in 1996. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the case as a 'political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation,' while Moscow called the accusations 'groundless' and 'contrived,' labeling them 'revenge' by the anti-Cuban lobby.