Key facts
- Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the U.S. State Department of pressuring UN member states.
- The U.S. State Department is allegedly trying to postpone a UN floor debate scheduled for July 7.
- The debate concerns the long-standing U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
- Rodriguez stated that U.S. sanctions are causing deaths and economic damage in Cuba.
- The UN General Assembly has repeatedly voted against the U.S. embargo since 1992.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the U.S. State Department on Tuesday of pressuring and intimidating United Nations member states to postpone an upcoming July 7 floor debate regarding the U.S. embargo against the island nation.
Rodriguez stated at a press conference in Havana that the U.S. sanctions are "causing deaths" and inflicting severe economic hardship on Cuba. He detailed that the U.S. government has implemented a "maximum pressure policy" that violates international law by attempting to prevent fuel supplies to Cuba through sanctions and intimidation against shipping companies and insurers. He noted that the previous U.S. administration sanctioned 53 vessels and 27 companies involved in shipments to Cuba.
The United States has maintained an economic and trade embargo against Cuba since 1960, impacting all sectors of the Cuban economy. This embargo has faced consistent international condemnation, with the UN General Assembly voting against it intermittently since 1992. Relations between the two countries remain strained due to numerous political and ideological differences.