Cuba secures UN session on US embargo, alleges Washington pressure

Cuba will hold a United Nations General Assembly session on July 7, 2026, to address the U.S. economic embargo, as announced by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez. He also accused the U.S. State Department of using "pressures, blackmail and threats" to postpone the debate.

Key facts

• The session, under agenda item 38, is titled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba" Source: El Caribe.
• The debate usually precedes a non-binding vote later in the year; the UN has voted 31 times previously, nearly unanimously, with only the U.S. and Israel opposed Source: La República.
• Cuba's energy crisis, deepened by a U.S. fuel blockade imposed in January 2026 and additional sanctions in May 2026, has crippled the economy and caused suffering Source: Diario Libre.

Cuba's allegations

Rodríguez stated that U.S. sanctions are "causing deaths" in Cuba and constitute "genocide" and "collective punishment" Source: Infobae. He claimed the U.S. is trying to intimidate UN member states to prevent the session, calling the embargo a threat to regional peace Source: Excélsior. The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment Source: La Jornada.